New Ties
by Abeep
Summary: This story picks up with the group's adventures after leaving Roswell in the final episode. They encounter other hybrids they didn't know existed. Please R/R! Rating for Lang.
1. Chapter 1

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 1**

                Walking along the rough trail, the small group of friends enjoyed expending energy on the nature hike instead of on fighting for once. With all that has happened in the last few years, the trip into the Rockies served as a nice break. Plus, Liz and Max were finally able to have some alone time for a decent honeymoon.

                "Guys, I'm so glad we decided to take this time to enjoy ourselves," Liz exclaimed, looking at her five best friends in the whole world. Everyone smiled, except Maria who instead opted to slap a fly from her arm.

                "Oowww!" Maria looked up in pain, as everyone kept walking and ignored her screams for the hundredth time that morning. As the group continued, silence fell once again, forming a content, companionable atmosphere.

                _Blast Screams Blast Screams Blast_

                "What was that?" Michael yelled, not quite understanding where the noise had come from and why the energy inside of him was buzzing. "Does anyone else feel that?" He looked at the group, wondering if he was the only one who felt like he was about to explode inside.

                "Yeah, I do. It's so strong Michael." Isabel said anxiously. This was more power than she's ever felt, much less held inside her. Everyone looked at Max with questions on their faces. He slowly nodded his head that he too felt an immense power surge. As the screams became more intense, the group looked around to determine where they were coming from. It was then that Max noticed Liz's shaking hands.

                "Are you okay Liz?" Max said softly, concern written all over his face. Liz looked up, saw the worry in his amber eyes, and quickly nodded to reassure him.

                "Yes, yes Max, I'm fine. It's just, so much energy, so much power. I've never…" Liz struggled to explain the intense sensations resulting from the energy coursing through her. Max nodded, he understood. It was a first for all of them. Maria and Kyle looked at each other, concern for their friends increasing.

                "Are you guys going to be alright? What should we do? You can control it, right??" Maria looked on the verge of panic as the group stood there, staring at her. "Well?? What do we do??" Maria was barely hanging on to her sanity, but she wouldn't be for long if someone didn't answer her. Understanding her need, Michael walked up and hugged her from behind.

                "We'll be okay Maria, we just need to figure out what is causing this and keep a grip on it." Pulling gently at Maria's waist, Michael pulled her closer for a fuller hug. Responding to his strength and the vibes of love radiating from him, Maria took a deep breath and slowly released it. Gaining some control, she said in a much calmer voice, "Okay, so where do we start?"

                _Blast Screams Blast Screams_

                Energy levels throughout the group became intense, and everyone inhaled sharply. Looking around the group, Kyle began to get worried. "Guys, maybe we should try and find out what's causing that noise and those screams. You guys seem to be getting worse." Kyle walked over and held Isabel's hand, willing all his strength and courage into her slender frame.

                Nodding her appreciation, Isabel gently squeezed his hand for continued support. "I think he's right, every time the noise gets louder, the levels of energy inside of me seem to spike." The others nodded that it was the same for them, and Max decided to go in search of the cause after figuring out which direction all the noise was coming from.

                As the group walked after him, it became clear that the safety of the trail they had followed was being left behind in favor of a more unknown course. Trees became larger and denser, making it more difficult to walk the newly made path.

                _Screams Blast Screams Blast_

                As the noise became intense, Max increased his pace to match in unconscious response to the energy that was building up inside of him. Moving past a large, ancient tree, Max stumbled out into an open area. His friends soon followed. They found themselves standing on a ledge, looking down into an open expanse of lush greenery. The large clearing would have been beautiful if not for the unnatural charred streaks throughout the scene and the desperate look of the people.

                A young woman had her back to them, as waves of people came at her from the front. Calling on energy she didn't know she had, the woman held up her hand and released an intense amount of energy on the first wave. As the first wave melted into ash, the second wave came forward to attack. The woman threw up a shield, encasing herself in a blue haze. Screams filled her lungs that had the blood curdling in the veins of the small group.

                Looking around, each wondered if they should help this woman who was obviously otherworldly, like the three of them. Max nodded his consent as all four of them at once put up their hands. Sensing an incredible power surge from unfamiliar sources, the woman looked up in shock.

                "What the…??" Looking up, Caitlin tried to get a grip on the power she felt coursing through her. Looking behind her, she saw the group of six sliding down from the ledge overlooking the unfolding scene. _Who…??_ Before she could finish the thought, a blast of heat energy rocked the shield knocking her back. "Oohhh!"

                Looking up at the noise, each teen saw the blue haze start to flicker. Moving faster, the group saw the blue haze gain in intensity just as quickly when the woman stood back up.

                _No, you don't._ Refocusing her energy, Caitlin brought the shield back to its full strength. Deciding it was time to take care of the threat, Caitlin drew on the energy filling every fiber of her being. Concentrating as she slowly lifted her hand, she dropped the shield and released a blast that incinerated the entire second wave of attackers. Exhausted, Caitlin dropped down to her knees. Inhaling deep breaths, she tried to get oriented again.

                "Hey! Hey! Are you okay?!" Max yelled as the group came closer. Looking up, Caitlin saw the six teens running towards her. Looking around, she saw the next advancement of soldiers. Before she could stand back up, Michael released an energy blast at the attackers. Destroying two soldiers and knocking four others back, he ran to take position in front of the woman lying on the ground. Max, Isabel and Liz all followed suite. Instantly picking up on who had come to her rescue, Caitlin quickly stood back up.

                "What are you doing?! Are you crazy?! Get out of here!" Caitlin screamed. Confused, the group just stared at her like she was crazy.

                "HEY!!!!" Recognizing the deep, melodic voice screaming at her, Caitlin turned to see the young man lift his hand. Misunderstanding, Max raised his shield to protect the woman who didn't want protection. Looking at the stranger, the young man instantly recognized who the small group was and reached out with his mind to gently knock Max down, forcing him to lower his shield. As the shield went down, the young man's hand went back up and released an enormous amount of energy at Caitlin.

                _Screams_ As he did so, Caitlin let out a deep, guttural scream that made the hairs at the back of everyone's neck stand on end. Expecting her to collapse or disappear into ash, the group stood in shock as the woman stood up straighter than before. Buzzing with intense energy, Liz barely stood still as her body began absorbing some of the energy flying by them.

                Looking around, Caitlin saw the stunned teens and the onrush of the next wave of enemy soldiers. "Well, if you're staying then at least protect yourselves!" Caitlin yelled, bringing Max and Michael out of their shock in time to realize that they were in danger. Letting out another energy blast, Michael killed three soldiers before they were able to take aim on Liz, Maria, and Kyle. Max put his shield up, but the blasts it was taking from the enemy would soon be too much for him.

                Evaluating the situation, Caitlin looked at the young man who had given her a power boost. He seemed to be holding his own okay, so she took the initiative to protect their unsuspecting rescuers. Focusing on her task, Caitlin slowly raised her hand. Using her energy creatively, Caitlin concentrated on forming the four corners of a square. Soon, Max and Michael found themselves being physically pulled in front of the group at two corners. Next, Isabel and Liz were pulled to the two corners behind the group. Leaving Maria and Kyle behind her, Caitlin fueled the energy of the individuals standing at the four corners of an invisible square. She alternated fueling their energy and drawing on it. Soon, the energy reached a level where it could no longer be controlled. Using her remaining strength to focus her energy on two separate tasks, she released an enormous energy blast at the young man standing to the side of the squared off group. After his screams subsided and he absorbed as much of the energy as he could take, she let the remaining energy flow out of her, beyond the four corners of the make shift square, and upward to create a large blue shield. The shield went up as a magnificent blue wall, shocking the teens. No one knew what the woman was doing when she forced the group into a square position. Everyone realized what was happening around the same time. Somehow, the energy blast the young man had given her earlier was enough to enable her to recharge his energy and protect them. She served as the guardian, taking on the energy requirements of the shield she created solely upon herself, while the young man acted as protector, using the energy flowing freely from him to destroy the enemies. Wave after wave, the guardian and the protector held out, until finally, the attack was over.

                Sensing the destruction of all their enemies, both collapsed to the ground in unison. Rushing over to the woman, Liz and Isabel lifted her head off the ground and gently placed it in Liz's lap. Isabel then reached out and held the woman's hand. She didn't understand why, but she had an overwhelming sense that this woman was special to her. Max and Michael ran to the man who had managed to save them all. He was lying on the ground, panting for breath. They looked him over and saw he wasn't hurt, just exhausted. Everyone stood in silence, trying to understand what had just happened. As the two people gained their strength back, they began to slowly sit up. Searching around the area, they both first verified that there was no longer any danger. Next, they searched for each other, and saw the small group starting to move around them protectively. Smiling, they knew from this moment on they would no longer be by themselves.

                "Are you guys going to be okay?" Liz asked in concern. Looking into her eyes, Caitlin nodded yes and then slowly stood. She walked over to where her brother was standing and hugged him fiercely. Backing away, Max and Michael met up with the others. As everyone watched, a gentle gold haze surrounded the two strangers. The glowing siblings radiated understanding, power, and love all at once. Breaking away, the young woman walked over to the group of teens.

                "Why? You could have gotten killed, why did you try and help us?" Caitlin needed to know. While she sensed the enormous amount of power and strength these people contained, even the humans, she needed to know if they were to finally be reunited or not.

                "You were in danger." Max looked at both the young woman and the young man standing protectively at her side. "We were hiking when we heard the noise of your fight. Our energies started spiking so we had to find out what was going on. Who are you?" Max looked at them both for an answer.

                As Caitlin looked to her brother, she saw the fatigue his eyes held, years of fighting taking their toll. Looking deeper, she saw the concern he had for them all, and the trust he felt instinctively for the strangers. Deciding he was right, it was time to lay things on the line, Caitlin took the lead.

                "The question is: who are you? Do you know who you are?" As Caitlin asked, she looked from Max to Michael to Isabel and then to Max. As Max nodded, she released the breath she had been unconsciously holding. "I'm Caitlin, and this is my brother, James." James grinned at Isabel, Maria and Liz. Suddenly, Max, Michael and Kyle walked closer to where they were standing. Understanding the feelings each man and woman emanated, Caitlin glared at James and took a step forward.

                Laughing, James walked up and placed his arm around Caitlin's shoulder. "Ah, no fears guys. I'm harmless." As Max, Michael and Kyle all looked at James head on, he gave one of his best Groucho impressions, threatening to take each woman away from them. Realizing he was just kidding, they each smiled at how ridiculous he was being.

                "Did I say he was my brother?? Maybe they were wrong and stuck me with some genetically similar freak." Caitlin grinned, ignoring the hurt expression playing across James' face.

"Awl, you know you love me." James said, still looking somewhat unsure. Everyone else laughed as the siblings continued the playful banter.

"I'm Max, by the way. And that's Michael and Kyle. This is Liz, and that's my sister Isabel and our friend Maria. Obviously you guys know who we are. So who are you guys?" Max asked, curious to know who their new found friends were.

"Well… we're friends. We don't know much about ourselves really. Just what we learned from Claire as we grew up. She was a shapeshifter, and she raised us for most of our lives." James said, a look of sadness overcoming his face as he thought of Claire. Squeezing his hand, Caitlin understood where his thoughts were going. They both missed her greatly.

"Claire taught us everything we know. She helped us understand who we were, what we can be now, and how our powers work." As Caitlin finished, the group started understanding how important this woman must have been to them, and how there was probably a great emptiness without her in their lives. As the silence stretched out, Max's desire to learn more grew.

"So are you guys from Antar? Like us?" Max asked, looking at Caitlin. To his surprise, it was James who answered.

"No, we are from one of the planets in that solar system. It is called Vorak." James answered. At the look of confusion and all the unasked questions on their faces, James continued. "It is a sister planet to Antar. The royal families on both planets were distant cousins of each other. Before Kivar went after the Royal Four, he massacred the families on Vorak to build his power base from there before moving on to Antar. After he slaughtered everyone, he cut off communication between the two planets by having his spies lead the Royal Four to believe that their cousins had betrayed them. The people on the planet Vorak stood no chance in escaping Kivar's wrath." As James continued his explanation, Max and Isabel started to understand who these people were and why they felt such a powerful draw to them.

"So these people were killed and the Royal Four never even knew about it." Kyle stated, dumbfounded. As the two siblings nodded, Max and Isabel looked at each other uncomfortably. They knew there was more to the story, but they weren't sure they wanted to hear it.

"Yeah, I guess so. Claire never told us how much the Royal Four came to learn towards the end. I think partly it was because she herself didn't know. After the massacre, Claire and some of her trusted friends started devising a way to right the wrongs Kivar had inflicted on her people. They used advanced technology to combine human DNA with the DNA of their royals and sent them all here to Earth. Claire came with them, to act as a guardian and to teach them all they would need to know." The more James spoke, the more familiar the story got.

"So you guys are the royal cousins Claire looked after?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, we are. I was Kristlyn and James was called Kilsnar. Not exactly typical human names so Claire named us after the Scotch-Irish family who helped her when she first landed here. The ship was destroyed not long afterwards, so her hope of taking us home went with it. We've been living as normal people ever since." Caitlin answered Michael's question just to inadvertently raise another.

"Normal? You call fighting those creeps normal?" Maria asked, looking at the most recent char streak across the ground. Caitlin flinched and remained silent, leaving James to answer Maria's question.

"No, not normal. We had nice, calm lives up until out 17th birthdays. Somehow, Kivar's men discovered we were alive and he left the task of destroying us to the tyrant he gave Vorak too as payment for his loyalty and his help in getting rid of all of the royal families. The tyrant's name is Petrax, and he has sent assassin after assassin after us for years now. This has been the biggest battle we have ever fought. I guess he got tired of all the failures." As James explained, Liz took a closer look at the faces of Caitlin and James. For the first time that afternoon, she realized that they were much older than the rest of them. She also saw the fatigue on each of their faces, evidence of their stolen youths.

"How old are you guys?" Liz asked, the unexpected question forcing Caitlin to look at her.

"I'm 24, and James is 25. He's a little older, but not much." Caitlin answered.

"24? You guys have been fighting for… seven, close to eight years?" Michael asked in wonder, imagining how lonely they must have gotten in that time. Not being able to trust anyone, or talk to anyone, other than each other. As James nodded, Max felt a wave of shame rush through him. He felt guilty for all these two had been through. Liz looked around, watching the mixture of wonder and guilt cross each person's face.

"Well, you guys have us now. You won't have to fight by yourselves anymore." Liz walked over and gave Caitlin and James each a hug as she spoke. Both melted, allowing a tear of gratitude escape their eyes. As Liz stepped away from James, a flash shocked her into stillness.

****FLASH****

Voices, people sitting around a campfire, laughter.

Mixture of noises, screams, loud thunder.

Deep, intense, deadly voice, "I have come for you Kilsnar. At last, you will die and your precious Kristlyn will be mine."

Raised hand, energy explosions, determined voice, "No, Petrax. You have come here only to die."

Energy Blasts, Screams, Bright Blue, Green Shields, Bright Flash of Gold, Blackness.

****FLASH****

"Liz? Liz, are you okay?" Max asked as he wrapped his arms around her. Liz was shaking from the intensity of the flash. "It's okay Liz. It's okay." Max reassured her, gently rubbing the sides of her arms. Perplexed at what had just happened, Caitlin looked at James. She saw the same question written across his face that she felt sure he saw written across hers.

"I don't understand. What's wrong?" Caitlin asked, never having liked being kept in the dark. Liz broke away from the comfort of Max's arms. Looking at the concerned group, she decided it was best to keep her premonition to herself for the time being. She didn't fully understand it's meaning yet, and she didn't want to lead them astray.

"Nothing really, sometimes I have premonitions and sometimes I have flashes of someone's past. When I stepped back from James, I saw some images briefly. Not enough to understand any of them though. I just… wasn't expecting it. I'm afraid I'm still trying to get use to it." Liz explained; everyone seemed to understand.

"You get premonitions?" James asked, disbelief written across his face. Misunderstanding his disbelief, Liz chuckled.

"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe." Liz smiled. Caitlin understood where her brother's thoughts were going. Looking at him, she wondered if he had reached the same conclusion she had.

"It's not hard to believe, not really. It's just that, well, it shouldn't be possible. Your human, and only the King's chosen mate has the gift of premonitions. It doesn't make sense that you would have that ability. I can feel the power that courses through you, through all of you." Caitlin looked at each person in the group to emphasize her point. "It's just… unexpected." Caitlin stopped trying to explain, seeing the futility of it.

"Liz is my wife, my love, my soul mate. We have a very deep connection that even we don't understand." Max said as he hugged Liz closer to him. Looking into her eyes, the love that filled her soul shown brightly. Not completely understanding how it was possible, but understanding that Max and Liz obviously belonged together, the siblings looked at each other and shrugged. Looking around, Kyle realized how late it was getting.

"Guys, I think we should get going. It's getting late and we still have quite a ways to go before we get to the campgrounds." Kyle said, feeling uneasy about traipsing in the woods after dark.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Where are you guys staying?" Isabel asked Caitlin and James.

"Our car is outside of the campgrounds. The rest of our stuff is in it. We were playing everything by ear." James answered, feeling uncomfortable at basically admitting they lived out of their car.

"You guys should come with us. We should all probably stay together anyway and this will be fun. We can make smores and melt marshmallows and sing campfire songs! It'll be a blast!" Maria exclaimed, getting excited about the upcoming evening.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 2**              

After Max said it was a good idea and encouraged the two siblings to join them, Caitlin and James quickly gave in. They headed back towards the campgrounds, and four hours later found themselves wandering tiredly into the camp. As James left to pick up their car, Caitlin helped the girls unpack the food and get dinner ready. The guys were busy setting up tents, complaining loudly that the girls always got the easy jobs. As waves of delicious smells flooded their noses, each quickly recognized why and dutifully finished their task in silence.

James arrived in time to see the guys had just finished setting up the tents. Walking over to assist the girls, he was summarily shooed away. With nothing else to do, he started to get his and Caitlin's gear out of their car. A nice, burgundy Honda CR-V, the new vehicle was well equipped for its nightly visitors. Even so, it was looking forward to being unoccupied this evening. As James moved towards one of the tents with both their gear, Michael stopped him.

"Wait, that's the girls tent. You can put Caitlin's stuff in there and then place your gear in the black tent over there. That's for us guys. The third tent, the one near that big tree back there, is for Max and Liz." Michael finished directing James, trying to read the older man's closed expression. Looking over at Caitlin, James saw the same mixture of fear and trust in her expression. Shrugging, he took Caitlin's gear to the tent before moving his own to the black tent. Not sure what the looks James and Caitlin were sending each other meant, Michael followed James and decided to ask.

"Is that okay? I saw the looks you and Caitlin were sending each other." Michael boldly said. James looked the strong one in the eyes and answered him honestly.

"Yes, everything is fine. It's just been a long time since we've slept so far apart. Caitlin… Caitlin gets feelings sometimes. At night they come in the form of nightmares. They often become violent if I'm not close by. I don't know why, but our connection, our bond as brother and sister, it runs so deep that it is essential for us to be close by each other." James explained, feeling uncomfortable with sharing so much about himself and his sister to a relative stranger.

Understanding, Michael tried to put him at ease. "We can ask the others about changing the sleeping arrangements, if you want?" Not wanting to draw any attention to them, James declined, stating that he felt it would probably be fine. Truth be told, they hadn't really had a chance to test it much lately. Accepting his answer, Michael moved on to help get the rest of their gear situated.

"Dinner is ready!" Liz called out, watching with glee as the guys nearly pummeled each other to get served first. As the girls continued laughing, everyone finally relaxed and wound down from the stressful day. After dinner, everyone sat around the campfire and made smores. After singing a few campfire songs to appease Maria, everyone got ready to go to sleep. They were worn out.

As the night progressed on, the weary group fell into a deep slumber. After a few hours of peaceful sleep, the dreams started in full force again. Tossing back and forth, Caitlin soon lost all hope of being able to manage the nightmares. Struggling with the sleeping bag, her grip got rougher as the sleeping bag slowly wrapped more tightly around her average frame. As small cries escaped her lips, Caitlin's nocturnal struggle slowly began to seep into Isabel's consciousness. Waking up to the pitiful noise, Isabel looked over in concern. Seeing the obvious torment on the older woman's facial features, Isabel debated dreamwalking her. 

Deciding she should help by resetting Caitlin's nightmare into a more pleasant dream, Isabel slowly laid back down and began getting more comfortable. After taking a few deep breaths, Isabel slowly reached out with her mind. Sensing the pull of Caitlin's consciousness, Isabel slowly entered the dream world that had engulfed her new friend. Looking around, she saw Caitlin in a defensive position, with her hand raised as if to protect herself. The background colors were a muted gray and green, an odd mixture of death and life. Looking to the side, Isabel noticed the man who was taunting Caitlin. A good looking man with dark brown hair, but with cold steely eyes.

"I am coming for you Kristlyn. I will kill anyone who gets in my way." The man threatened in a deep, timber voice.

"No, Petrax…" Sensing another's presence, Caitlin looked up. Realizing who was in the dream with her, she tried to focus on Petrax, desperate to not give Isabel's presence away.

"We're not alone. Who's…" Looking up sharply, Petrax sensed the new presence also.

"No…" Desperate, Caitlin focused with all her strength and forced her body to physically pull out of the dream plane and wake up. 

"Volandra…" Petrax uttered before the dream world came crashing to an end. The bright, golden haze shocked both Petrax and Isabel. Forced back into their own bodies, Isabel and Petrax both remained still, completely dazed.

"You shouldn't have dreamwalked me, Isabel." Caitlin whispered. "Now that he knows we are all together… you are all in danger as well." Getting up quickly, Caitlin climbed out of the tent. 

Still shaking, Isabel sat up and tried to figure out what had happened. _I had meant to help Caitlin by turning the nightmare into a pleasant dream. Instead, I somehow put everyone in danger. But that doesn't seem right. Petrax obviously wants Caitlin, so why would he care if we are all together or not? Petrax… that's…. ah! That's the guy Kivar gave Vorak too. Oh great, what have I done._

As Isabel continued deep in thought, the time passed by and before long birds were chirping and the sun had risen. Waking up, Maria looked around. Caitlin was missing and Isabel looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"What's up Is?" Maria asked, not liking the look of things. "Up kind of early aren't you? Even for you." Looking over, Isabel finally realized that Maria was talking to her.

"Huh? We need to talk. All of us need to talk." Isabel stated, getting up to grab the guys. As she exited the tent, Maria followed. Walking over to the furthest tent, Isabel yelled for Max and Liz to get up before walking over and doing the same for the guys. Protesting the noise and the early morning hours, everyone gathered at the center of camp.

"What's going on?" Michael asked grumpily, not pleased with the look of fatigue on Isabel's face. It doesn't make sense that she wouldn't have gotten enough sleep. They were all exhausted last night by the time they finally went to bed. Looking around, James started to get worried. He didn't see Caitlin anywhere and the look on Isabel's face wasn't a good sign.

"Where's Caitlin?" James asked, starting to get fidgety. For the first time, everyone looked around, noticing she wasn't there. Everyone except Isabel, that is.

"We woke up in the middle of the night, she left the tent and hasn't come back since." Isabel answered. Isabel looked down in anticipation for the onslaught of questions.

"What happened Isabel?" James asked, picking up on the guilt she was immersing herself in. Taking a deep breath, Isabel looked up and straight into the clear blue eyes of the man standing directly before her.

"She had a dream, a nightmare. I woke up to her cries. She looked so… sad, and scared. Like she was trying to be strong but somehow, in her sleep, her vulnerability really came through. I felt bad for her, and wanted to help. So I dreamwalked her; I was going to try and change the nightmare into a pleasant dream for her. But… she wasn't alone. Petrax was there." Isabel said.

"Petrax…" James whispered, half afraid to ask what happened in the dream. After the silence continued for a few minutes and James just stood there, waiting for Isabel to finish, Isabel continued.

"He said he was coming for her. She must have sensed my presence, because she looked over for a second. Petrax sensed my presence too. It was then that Caitlin pulled out of the dream world abruptly, and forced herself awake. I woke up immediately. Caitlin said I shouldn't have dreamwalked her, that Petrax now knew we were all together, and because of that, the rest of us are now in danger." Isabel spoke the last few words softly, guiltily looking at the ground.

Walking over, Max gently wrapped his arms around his older sister. Comforting her the best he could, he slowly looked around to see James also staring at the ground. Contemplating reaching over to offer his support, Max was shocked when James' head suddenly snapped up. Looking to the side and turning, James saw the brown haired, blue green-eyed man whose presence he'd felt before he was even able to see him.

"Clay…" James hissed, violent breaths rising rhythmically in his chest.

"James." Clay said, before taking a step forward. Looking around at the group of new faces, he winced when he saw Max's. "Your Majesty." Clay lifted his hand in a mock salute. 

Seething in anger, James was barely able to contain the sparks flying around him. Sensing the energy building within the older man, Max pulled Liz and Isabel a little ways behind him and took a few steps forward. From the look of things, these two were about to go at it and if they did, Max didn't want anything to happen to the girls. As Michael looked back and forth between James and the new guy, Clay, he did the same with Maria. It looked as if everyone had taken their positions to either referee a fight or to stay out of its way completely.

"Clay…" James growled, before lunging at him. The frustration and guilt of the past three years finally surfaced, forcing Clay to deal with them. Moving to meet James full force, both men ran head long into a bright blue shield. Bouncing off the unexpected obstruction, James and Clay landed hard on the packed earth beneath them, gasping for air at the impact. Looking around, everyone dropped their jaws at what they saw. Caitlin's red, tear streaked face greeted them.

"Caitlin…" Isabel was the first to gain her voice back. "Caitlin, I'm so sorry about last night." Walking over, Isabel intended to wrap her arms around the upset woman but decided better of it after seeing the unfaltering look of anger she plastered on her brother and friend. James and Clay slowly picked themselves up off the ground, glaring at each other. Realizing what had stopped them from killing each other, both men looked at Caitlin. Taking a step forward, Clay called to her.

"Caitlin…" Clay whispered, wanting to run to the woman but half afraid of what she would do if he tried. Looking into the deep, blue green eyes of the man she loved, even after all this time, Caitlin melted. Lowering the shield, Caitlin looked down.

"Kill each other if you must. But know this, Petrax is on his way here personally. Kivar is with him. They both intend to kill the rightful Kings of Antar and Vorak and then finish off what they started all those years ago. Petrax plans on leaving here with a royal heir and a legitimate claim to rule Vorak." Caitlin softly spoke the words she felt had to be heard and understood by each person present. There was no avoiding what had to be done.

_Petrax… royal heir… legitimate claim on Vorak… No!!!_ Clay's thoughts began running rampant. He knew about Petrax's obsession with Caitlin. For all those years his past self had thought it harmless, had taken amusement in it even. But that had led to his brother's betrayal. Petrax was ruthless, without any sense of loyalty or kindness. He saw them all murdered, even his precious Kristlyn, as punishment. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, doubtless he was grateful to have a second chance.

Before turning around to leave, Caitlin looked at the one woman who offered her comfort and sympathy for the pain she was feeling. Glancing at Isabel, she had to warn her of what Kivar had planned for her. "Isabel… be careful. Kivar never accepted your rejection of him. He thinks you still love him, and he can still control you. You must be careful. Or when he leaves here, he'll take you with him."

Shocked that Kivar still had any interest in her, Isabel looked into the unwavering eyes of her friend. Seeing the truth there plainly before her, Isabel fully understood the consequences of her actions last night for the first time that day. Watching Caitlin turn around and head to the girls' tent, Isabel looked to Max.

"I'm not sure what we should do, Isabel. If they are coming, how do we even know when they'll get here?" Max said, thinking that they'd have to continue doing what they've always done, be prepared in case of attack.

"There's no telling how long it can take. But the dreams Caitlin has been having… usually they come right before an attack." James said, wishing he could be more precise but knowing that they would need to stay alert. Listening to the conversation going on around him, Clay wished more than anything he could just go to Caitlin. Knowing he needed to straighten things out with James first, he held off. Instead, Clay walked over to James, determined to make him listen.

"James, I'm sorry about leaving. I couldn't handle the grief at first. The anger, the sense of emptiness at Sonya's death, it was more than I could take. I had to leave, to get a grip on things by myself." Clay said, not budging from the intense glare James gave him at mentioning Sonya's name.

"You weren't the only one who was grieving Clay. I loved Sonya for crying out loud. Do you think I wasn't angry? Do you think I wasn't devastated?!" James asked, his voice rising from a whisper to an outright scream. Flinching, Clay knew this was going to be hard. But rehashing everything, it was almost more than he could take.

"I… I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry James. I should have stayed, we could have helped each other through it. I'm sorry." Clay's blue-green eyes turned dark, begging James to accept his apology. Rarely showing emotion to anyone but Caitlin, Clay let the floodgates open and the heartache Sonya's death had caused him to pour out. In the face of so much naked emotion, James' resolve wavered. Nodding his head in understanding and acceptance, James looked to the sky.

"I can forgive you for leaving without a word Clay, but to leave Caitlin… You broke her heart. You still have a lot to make up for there." James said, finally looking back at Clay as he finished. Understanding the hurt and pain Caitlin must have felt at realizing he was gone, on top of her grief at losing her best friend, Clay knew he'd be spending the rest of his life trying to make it up to her. With that, both men parted amicably. Clay walked over to the tent Caitlin had disappeared into, and stood guard outside of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 3**              

"So who are you, Clay?" Liz asked, feeling the air clear enough to ask. Looking at the pretty girl, Clay thought he sensed a great deal of power from her. _That is odd though, she's only human._

"I'm a friend. I grew up with James and Caitlin. In my past life, I was Clarek, one of the royal cousins on Vorak. Now, I'm just one of the royal misfits trying to survive." Michael snickered at Clay's remark. Seeing the truth in it, he almost followed it up with a comment when Liz asked another question.

"Who's Sonya?" Pain crossed Clay's face in response. Looking over at James, he saw his friend studying the ground closely. Exhaling loudly, Clay finally answered her.

"She was my sister. Another royal misfit, she was known as Selena in that other lifetime. Now, she is known only to our group: as my sister, James' love, and Caitlin's best friend. She died three years ago. She was killed in her sleep." Clay explained, deciding more information was not necessary.

Getting restless, Michael wanted to know what they should do now. If Kivar or Petrax paid them a visit, he wanted to be prepared. He also wanted to make sure that Maria was safe. If they had to fight, he wouldn't be able to concentrate unless he knew for sure she was out of the reach of those bastards. "We need to decide what to do. If we don't, we're sitting ducks." Michael said.

"Michael, we'll figure something out. We should all be together first. James, can you get Caitlin?" Max asked, looking James in the eyes.

 "I'll get her." Clay volunteered before James had time to speak up. Turning around, he climbed into the tent that Caitlin had found refuge in. Looking at the rounded shoulders and the down turned head, Clay knew Caitlin was suffering. "Caitlin… everyone is waiting for you before deciding what to do." Caitlin looked up, getting ready to go back outside. "No, wait… we need to talk Caitlin." Clay whispered. He had to straighten things out between them. If he didn't do this now, he might not ever have another chance too.

"So talk." Caitlin said, remaining seated. Unable to look at the man who ripped out a huge hunk of heart and took it with him as he tried to console himself over the loss of his sister, Caitlin didn't move. Sighing, Clay knew it had to be this way. Even if she could never love him again, he had to make her understand why he left. He needed her to know that he'd never leave her again.

"When Sonya died, part of me died with her. You know how strong our bonds are to our siblings. It's why Claire insisted we trained together to build up our weaknesses instead of just focusing on our strengths. It was devastating to lose my twin. I… I shouldn't have left you. I love you Caitlin, I loved you then and I still love you, very much. I left because I had to; there was too much to work out. The powers Sonya gave me before she left… they were overwhelming." Clay said, not realizing that Caitlin had become agitated.

_Powers… but she died before she had time to pass them on… didn't she?? What powers did she give Clay??_ Caitlin's mind raced, not finding the answers she needed in her memories. Needing to know the whole story, she decided to just ask. "I thought Sonya died before she had time to pass her powers on." The simple statement stopped Clay in his tracks. The time had come to tell the whole truth, to completely explain why he felt he had to leave.

"Right before she died, she dreamwalked me. I thought she just wanted to talk or something, but I was wrong. She said she knew she would be leaving soon, that she'd had a vision of it. She said it would come swiftly and painlessly, and that she wouldn't have time to pass her powers on. All those years Claire raised us, the one thing she emphasized the most was our ability to pass our gifts and knowledge on to our loved ones before moving on to another existence. It's a gift and a curse, because if we don't have the chance to do it before dying, our loved ones suffer the loss. So she gave me her ability to dreamwalk." As Clay uttered the words, Caitlin cried aloud in agony.

_He saw the dreams… oh no… he saw the dreams._ Realizing the pain he was forcing her to relive, Clay pressed on knowing that this was the time for them to set things right between them. Walking over, Clay bent down on one knee and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Caitlin, I couldn't control the dreamwalks at first. I found myself in your dreams every night, looking on at the nightmares that bastard forced on you. I tried to change them, to kick him out of your mind, but I couldn't do it. He was too strong… I didn't have enough control yet." As Clay's words faltered, a single tear ran down Caitlin's cheek. "I wanted to be strong for you, to protect you. But that was to be your brother's role in the end, not mine. After Sonya's death, I knew I had to leave. I was too heartbroken to fight anymore, and too scared of what might happen to you if I distracted you."

"When you left… there was nothing for me but the will to fight. That's all I had, that and my brother. So we fought, again and again until Petrax got tired of sending assassins and instead sent whole armies. Whole armies Clay! We fought off armies of soldiers!! And I still don't know how." Caitlin said. Looking down at the woman the girl had become since his disappearance three years hence, Clay saw the power and strength she radiated. Recognizing some of the strength, Clay started thinking.

"Did Sonya visit you in your dreams the night she died? Caitlin, think! Did she?" Clay asked urgently, beginning to understand why he was pulled here so forcibly. Not sure what he was talking about, Caitlin shook her head.

"No… no, she didn't. If I had known she was in danger, I would have guarded her with my life. She was my best friend, Clay. Not just your sister, but my best friend." Caitlin forced the words out, trying to make this man understand how deeply she had also been affected by the loss. "She dreamwalked me two nights earlier. She managed to change the nightmare Petrax had started. We talked for a little while afterwards, about things we did together when we were younger and things we hoped for when we got older. But that's it. Even so, I like to think that we connected in that time. No matter how brief a time, I felt very close to her."

Nodding his understanding, Clay removed his hand from Caitlin's shoulder. _Sonya connected to her while they talked, but Caitlin didn't realize it. Sonya must have known that she wouldn't have accepted her death. She must have left her strength to Caitlin, and that's how she's been able to move on and fight off her enemies._ Comprehending his sister's actions fully for the first time in three years, Clay felt ashamed. Sonya had given Caitlin the strength she needed to continue without her best friend or her lover in her life. She must have known that Clay wouldn't be able to stay around. Giving him dreamwalking abilities though, that was how she would insure he came back to the people he needed to be with.

"Caitlin, those dreams about Petrax… they started three weeks ago. Didn't they?" Clay asked, already knowing the answer. Releasing a loud sigh at seeing Caitlin's nod, Clay decided it was time to figure out what they're next move would be. "Listen, the others are waiting for us. We need to figure out what we should do to protect ourselves. But before we go, please know… I'll never leave again." With that, Clay stood up and walked out of the tent. Following him, Caitlin ignored the curious looks and opened the planning session herself.

"I know Kivar and Petrax are coming. Petrax has been threatening to come himself for three weeks. With the discovery of the Royal Four's presence, Kivar has decided to join him." As Caitlin mentioned the timeframe, James looked over in surprise. Somehow, she'd hidden her nightmares from him for three weeks. He didn't see how it was possible, but she was obviously determined to stay strong. He didn't know what affect Clay's presence here would have on her. _Hopefully, they'll work things out. They need each other._

As Caitlin looked around the group, only her brother would look her in the eyes. Even he hesitated though, deeply ashamed for attacking the man she loved. Smiling to reassure him it was okay, she walked over and gave him a small hug. Having driven the point home, Caitlin looked up into his crystal blue eyes and saw the thankful grin on his face. Encouraged that the peace might last, Caitlin walked away to sit on an old tree stump as the group began talking about their survival.

"If anyone has any ideas…" Kyle spoke up, wanting to settle on something as soon as possible.

"I do… but…" Caitlin hesitated in sharing her idea with the group. It was risky, and it wasn't fair to put anyone's life in danger on purpose. Rethinking the wisdom of it, she quickly changed her mind. "Actually, no… it wasn't a good idea. Never mind." As Caitlin stared at the ground, everyone in the group got the distinct impression that if she said it wasn't a good idea, it probably wasn't.

"Well, we need to think of something." Maria piped up. "I mean, what if they get here and we aren't prepared? We need to be ready. It's probably the only way we'll survive." Not so much hearing the fear behind her words as feeling it, Michael walked up and hugged Maria. He didn't want them to be caught off guard either.

_Be prepared… be prepared… We'd be so strong if everyone was at the same level…but the royals' powers just aren't as strong… Be prepared…if only we can…_ "Guys, I think we should practice with our powers, all of us. Together we'd be so strong, but you guys are so far behind in your capabilities. Maybe together… maybe we can increase your abilities by practicing together." Caitlin said, unsure of herself for the first time as she looked Max directly in the eyes. She was not one to cower before authority, power, or royalty, but she had a great deal of respect for her cousins. Disappointing the man she considered key in the survival and future of her world and the other's in the solar system was not something she would do.

"That's a good idea. I didn't realize we were so far behind. I still can't believe how powerful you guys are." As Max spoke, he looked at Caitlin, James and Clay while Michael and the others nodded. Everyone had been shocked and impressed at James and Caitlin the day they fought that battle. Maybe if they worked together, they could improve enough to survive a battle against Petrax and Kivar.

Understanding the compliment behind the words, all three lowered their eyes in deference to Max and the King they had known in a different lifetime. Betraying his trust and faith was something they each vowed never to do. While a firm plan had yet to be established, everyone felt confident enough about what had been proposed to relax for a little while. The group decided to take another hike, the physical exercise would be good for them and would take their minds off what lay before them. Deciding to hike back to the opening where they had initially run into Caitlin and James, they all began the trek. Their plan was to practice their powers when they got there.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 4**              

The trek was longer than they had remembered from the day before. They were all surprised at how far away the clearing had been from the spot on the trail where they'd first felt the energy spikes. As they reached the clearing, the sun had gone just a little past mid-way in the sky. As it's rays radiated heat to them, the group felt hot and tired. Needing a break before delving into any serious work, they sat in a circle and relaxed. Occasionally, Kyle and Maria would engage the others in small talk.

"So Clay, whose cousin are you?" Kyle asked, still not sure who was supposedly related to whom. Looking over, Clay thought the question odd. It wasn't really an important point to him.

"I guess I'd be Michael's cousin." Clay answered.

"Yeah, Clay is the moody one. Not always the easiest to get along with." Caitlin said, forcing Clay and James to grin.

"In that case, he's definitely related to Michael." Maria exclaimed, forcing a snicker from the others. Usually not up for teasing, Michael didn't say anything. He looked at Clay with a new appreciation for him. _I have a cousin… I have family…_ Michael smiled. Looking up, Clay saw the smile before it vanished to be replaced with a stoic line. Understanding how he felt, Clay smiled. He wished his cousin could have known his sister. The three of them had a lot in common.

"So are you two related to Max and Isabel?" Liz asked, looking at James and Caitlin. As they nodded, everyone smiled. It was as if two families had been reunited. In the six months since they'd left Roswell, the only family they had was each other. It felt good to know that they had blood relatives around who could fight and laugh with them. This thinking led everyone to wonder what their parents were doing. As everyone reminisced, Max snapped out of it in time to see the tears start to form in the eyes of several group members. Jumping up, he startled everyone.

"Okay guys, it's time to start practicing. Who wants to go first." Looking around, everyone stared at each other for a few minutes before Michael spoke up.

"I guess I will." Michael said before turning and looking directly at Clay. "I know my strongest ability is the energy blast. Yet, it's no where near as strong as Caitlin's or James'. Am I capable of that kind of power? Any ideas on how I can get to that point?" Listening to Michael's questions, Clay looked over to Caitlin and James. From the way Michael was talking, their powers had greatly increased over the years.

"Yes and no. You should be able to build your power up to a level that can destroy large numbers of enemy soldiers and equipment. I'm not sure you'll be as powerful as James or Caitlin. There powers are… unique. They are capable of energy blasting each other. When they do, it amplifies their powers ten times. But your ability enables you to achieve fives times the amount of power as anyone else on your own. It's why it is your strength. If you want to achieve that level though, you'll need to learn to draw on the power that is within you and control it. Control is the key, and you'll probably find that you have the power but not the control. Once you learn to control your power, then you'll find you can draw on practically an unlimited amount of it." Clay said, answering Michael's questions while giving him the information he felt was important.

"Control…" Michael grimaced. _Great!_ Trying not to get frustrated, he took a few steps forward. "Well, let's get started." Maria smiled at the determined look on Michael's face. Even knowing that control was his biggest weakness, he was determined to do what needed to be done for the group, for her. And she was proud of him for it.

Standing up, Clay walked over to the younger man. "We should probably put a little distance between us and the others. I'll practice with you, and show you the techniques I use to control my own powers." Caitlin watched the two men walk across the clearing a little ways, impressed at how much Clay has grown up. Before long, energy blasts could be heard. Not long after the fireworks started, the remaining group members (except Maria and Kyle) started feeling their energies spike. The improvement Michael made in a short time was impressive. He could destroy a rock no bigger than a paper clip by 50 feet away. The precision was the important thing, so Clay constantly emphasized that point to his cousin. After achieving the same results several times over, Michael gained a new found confidence in his abilities. No longer afraid of hurting someone by accident, he walked over to the group smiling.

Happy for his success and new confidence, everyone quickly found themselves laughing and joking again. While there was still much work to be done, everyone felt good about things for the first time that day. Watching everyone interact, Caitlin started getting a strange feeling. Getting uneasy, the brunette started looking around her. The more she looked, the more agitated she became. Noticing Caitlin's state, Liz walked over and sat down beside her.

"Is everything okay?" Liz asked, getting an uneasy feeling herself. Looking into the doe brown eyes, Caitlin felt the power inside the younger woman try and merge with that inside of her. Forcing herself to stand up, she quickly clamped down on the rapidly building energy. Seeing the confused and slightly startled expression on Liz's face, Caitlin regrouped and sat back down.

"I'm sorry. You have a tremendous amount of energy inside of you. It seems to be almost calling to my own. I didn't mean to frighten you, Liz." Caitlin gently placed her hand on Liz's, offering comfort the only way she could. Understanding what had caused Caitlin to jump up, Liz softly squeezed the hand lying on top of hers. With the mutual understanding, both women decided it was time to continue practicing. "We should practice with your powers, Liz. Of everyone here, yours is probably the most undeveloped." Nodding, Liz stood up and walked with Caitlin to a small, half hidden area to the side of the clearing.

Following her instincts, Caitlin lifted her hand and released a small amount of energy into Liz. The screams that followed the flow of energy that entered Liz were terrifying. Looking up, Max saw Caitlin and instantly lifted his hand and blasted her. Thrown twenty feet away from Liz, Caitlin crumpled into a ball on the ground. Shocked, Clay and James quickly ran over to where she laid. Max ran to Liz, concern written all over his features. As the screams ceased, Liz felt energy coursing through her in levels she'd never felt before. Shaking with the intensity, she looked around in fear. She needed to either release the energy or control it. Unable to control it, she looked around in search of a way to get rid of it.

As James looked up, he saw the frightened expression on Liz's face. He was unable to physically leave his sister to help the young woman. Max was trying to grab a hold of Liz, to calm her down. James narrowed his eyes and glared at the man who was the rightful ruler of a neighboring planet. _If Caitlin dies, they're solar system would just have to find another way to solve its problems, because Max would not be there to do it for them._

"Liz! Come here! You have to use your powers to heal Caitlin!" James screamed, trying to make the frantic woman understand. _Her connection to Max gives her special powers. Along with the more basic ones, she has premonitions and the ability to heal. With the boost Caitlin gave her prior to Max's attack, she can heal Caitlin if she hurries_. Not quite understanding everything, Liz ran to James and looked down at Caitlin. Seeing the crumpled form, Liz quickly knelt at her side.

"James, I've never healed anyone before. How do you know I can?" Liz looked up, unsure of herself and not wanting to cause the woman further harm.

"Liz, there's no time for me to explain. Please, you must heal her. Concentrate." James said, looking at Max for his support. Walking over, Max understood what James was asking for. Seeing that Liz was okay but greatly in need of an outlet for the energy inside her, he walked over and placed her hand on Caitlin's back.

"Liz, you can do this. Concentrate on Caitlin, normally you'd need a connection with her to heal her. But with the amount of energy inside of you, you should be able to do it easily without one. Concentrate on Caitlin, on every molecule in her body. Seek out what is damaged, and fix it." Following Max's instructions, his soothing voice guided her to a point and then from there, instincts took over. Caitlin's injuries were pretty severe. Max's blast had thrown her across twenty feet in a matter of seconds. Several ribs were broken, and two organs were ripped apart by bone fragments. After repairing the damage, Liz leaned backwards and looked at her friend in concern.

"Caitlin? Caitlin?" Liz whispered, concerned. After a few seconds, Caitlin woke up from the sleep she had fallen into after the hard landing. Caitlin sat up and looked around her. Focusing on Liz, she smiled. Liz smiled back, almost giggling. "How'd you know?" Liz asked.

"I didn't. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you better, but my instincts took over before I had a chance to realize what I was doing." Caitlin stood up and brushed herself off. Looking over to Max, she said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt her." Walking off a little distance, Caitlin stopped, filled with a sense of dread. Looking around, Caitlin felt sure someone was watching. Looking from across the clearing, from tree to tree, she didn't see anyone but the group she was with. Looking at James, she quickly looked away. _Something isn't right. But what??_ Desperately wanting to put the uneasiness aside, Caitlin walked back over to the others.

"I'm sorry about that guys. But Liz has tremendous gifts, just like the rest of us. It's important she trains too so she can develop them." Caitlin said, looking at Max. Understanding the importance of this training for everyone, some of the tension left his face. He hadn't meant to hurt Caitlin, but upon hearing Liz's terrifying screams and seeing what Caitlin had done to her he reacted automatically. He thought Liz was going to die, something he'd die before allowing to happen. And when it was his cousin, of all people… he shuddered. He'd felt he'd had no choice. As James looked at Max and Caitlin, he saw his sister's need to get Max's acceptance. Her loyalty to her family was enormous. Max did not know her well enough to know that she'd not only die to protect her family and friends, but that she'd die to protect their loved ones as well. _He may not know that now, but he'll learn._

Walking over to Caitlin, Liz hugged her. "It's okay. I don't think it was something you could have stopped. We need to start training again anyway. Caitlin, James, is it possible for you guys to give that kind of energy boost to the others?" Liz asked, realizing the power of such a gift. James looked at Caitlin, catching her attention before she looked down quickly. The shame Caitlin felt at not being able to help her cousins was written all over her face.

"No." James spoke up, looking sympathetically at his sister. "If it was possible, Max would not have been able to hurt Caitlin." Max's head spun around, staring at the woman he'd flung across the clearing not ten minutes earlier. For the first time, he felt ashamed at his behavior. Amplifying powers is a very powerful gift, and one that has helped his cousins survive. It now seemed possible for Liz as well.

"I'm sorry." Max said simply, forcing Caitlin to look into his eyes. As she nodded, he could clearly see the pain she suffered. "Caitlin, are you alright?" Touched by her cousin's concern, Caitlin smiled and assured him she was fine. Encouraging everyone to continue training, Caitlin went to a half hidden area to the side of the clearing.

"Hey sis! Where are you going?" James yelled, trying to catch up with her. Turning around, Caitlin stopped long enough to answer him.

"I'm going over there, away from the others. If anything else happens I can't control, I don't want anyone to get hurt." With that, Caitlin turned back around and walked off. Understanding how she must be feeling, James watched her go. Turning towards the others, he found Isabel and caught up with her. They had decided to practice their physical powers together. While Clay and Isabel could work on their dreamwalks together, they both thought it best to hold off.

Watching Caitlin stride determinedly away from the group, Michael empathized with her. He'd struggled with his lack of control for months after Pearce died. He could only imagine how she must have felt with Max thinking she was trying to hurt his wife. Shrugging off his morose mood, Michael walked over to join Clay. There next training session would be a bit more intense. They planned a group maneuver. James, Isabel and Liz would work with Max on the defensive, trying to strengthen their powers as they defend each other from attack. Michael and Clay would be offensive, honing in their powers on the other four. Max needed to expand his abilities with the shield. Currently, he couldn't protect all four people with it. As they practiced, he was determined to increase its power so no one under his supervision would get hurt.

Everything went well, as blast after blast Max's shield held out and Isabel and Liz counter attacked the guys. James, being more powerful than the others, practiced giving Liz power boosts at strategic times during the mock warfare for his participation. Starting off easy, he slowly increased the amounts of power until even he was impressed with her control and range of abilities. By working with Max, Liz quickly discovered she could increase the strength of his shield. The sessions proved rewarding all around.

While the group practiced, Kyle and Maria looked on with great interest. Normally, they didn't appreciate sitting on the sidelines. This afternoon though, they were being treated to quite a light show. Between the sparks of the energy blasts Michael and Clay were releasing and the shields Max and Liz maintained, the two found themselves looking on in wonder. Every once in a while an _Oooh_ and _Aaahh_ could be heard from their direction. Getting bored in her far off corner, Caitlin walked over and sat down next to Maria. Looking over, she smiled at their awed expressions.

"It's beautiful, in a perverse way." Maria said, fully cognizant of the power to kill behind every attack. Looking on with them, Caitlin watched in amazement as Clay attacked, changed positions, attacked again, watched Michael's back, and shifted away from the energy blasts Isabel and Liz sent their way. _He has such strength… so much more control… like he's at peace for the first time in a long time… He's so beautiful…_

As Caitlin's thoughts continued along this line, Clay looked over and smiled at her. Blushing, Caitlin quickly looked away. Feeling caught red handed, she purposefully spent the rest of the session focusing on the others. Noticing her reaction, Clay tried to shrug it off. Proving more difficult than he thought, he found himself again and again snatching glances at the brunette. _Why won't she look at me? _Trying not to think about it, Clay nearly missed being hit full force by Isabel. Quickly managing to dodge, he didn't see the look of relief on Caitlin's face.

Looking at each person, Caitlin realized how tired everyone was getting. When they still had to hike the four hours back to camp, she thought it might be best for them to stop their practicing for today. Standing up, she quickly brushed off her pants and started walking towards the group. Looking at all of them, Caitlin could see the concentration on each of their faces. _Hmm… it might not be a good idea to yell at them… with a distraction like that someone could get hurt…_ Deciding on what to do, she walked towards the center of the action. Raising her shield as she walked, Caitlin stood encased in the blue haze as the group noticed what she was doing. Stopping the attacks immediately, everyone walked towards her. Lowering her shield, she grinned at them.

"Hey guys. Everyone's tired and we still have to hike back to camp. What do you guys think about practicing some more tomorrow and taking it easy for the rest of today?" Caitlin looked at Max, knowing that ultimately the decision would be his. Smiling back at her, he nodded. It was a good idea, and they were definitely getting tired. So everyone started talking about how much stronger they'd become as Maria and Kyle joined them.

"Guys! That was awesome! I can't believe how much you guys have improved." Maria said excitedly, jumping up into Michael's arms to give him a hug. Laughter and excited chatter quickly filled the clearing. As time slowly passed, the group relaxed and started to plan their next day. Deciding it was time to head back, the group gathered their things and started hiking to camp. As the group moved closer to camp, Liz started getting an uneasy feeling. Looking at Max, she watched his strong back and forearms as he readjusted his backpack. Realizing that she must be overreacting, she tried to ignore the feeling of impending doom. Distracting herself by talking, focusing on the ground, and staying active she managed to push the feeling to the back of her mind and before long, they reached camp.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 5**              

As everyone stored their packs in the appropriate tents, Liz found herself unable to concentrate. Looking up, she saw Caitlin look around the otherwise empty tent. "Caitlin, is everything okay?" Nodding her head, Caitlin wondered how much to share with her friend. Looking into Liz's chocolate brown eyes, she realized that she could trust this young woman implicitly. As Isabel entered the tent to get her pack ready for the next day, she glanced at both her friends.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" Sensing that something was on both their minds, Isabel sat down and looked at each woman in turn, waiting for a response. Thinking it was probably time to talk to someone, Caitlin spoke up.

"I'm not sure how to say this guys. Earlier today, two separate times in fact, I felt… well, like someone was watching me. It's not often I feel that uneasy. I felt it yesterday too." Caitlin said. Nodding her head in understanding, Liz shared her feelings of uneasiness. As each of them talked, a frown creased Isabel's forehead.

"Do you think they're here? Do you think they are going to attack soon?" Isabel asked, looking at each of her friends. Not sure what to say and seeing the lines of worry deepen on both Isabel's and Liz's face, Caitlin tried her best to reassure her friends.

"I don't know Isabel. If they were here, they would have attacked us by now. I think part of what Liz is feeling is a premonitory feeling that something big is going to happen sometime soon. We should be even more careful, but I don't think its time to worry yet." Caitlin said, reaching over and squeezing Isabel's hand. Nodding in agreement, Liz said she thought they'd better talk to the rest of the gang but that she felt Caitlin was probably right. Satisfied with that course of action, the three women left the tent one by one. Walking over to the rest of their friends, Liz took the lead.

"Guys, we need to tell you something. Caitlin and I have both been getting uneasy feelings recently. We don't think they are here yet, but they probably will be sometime soon. We need to stay alert." Liz said, looking at Max for his confirmation. Receiving it, Liz was greatly relieved when Max and the others took more precautions to insure everyone's safety. Making the camp as secure as possible without setting up an actual guard watch, the gang relaxed enough to eat dinner and enjoy it.

"I'm pretty tired, I think I'm gonna go ahead and hit the sack. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Good night." Caitlin said, walking off to the girls' tent. Waving her hand at everyone's goodnights, she entered the tent and crawled into her sleeping bag. Instantaneously falling asleep as her head hit the pillow, Caitlin entered a quiet dream world.

Staring at Caitlin's back, Clay watched the obviously tired woman's slow walk to the tent. _Sleep well, my love…_ Forced out of his current thoughts, Clay realized James was talking to him. "What?" Clay stared at his old friend in confusion. Sighing, James repeated himself.

"I was just asking how things are between you and Caitlin now that you've found your way home again." James smiled, allowing the gentleness behind his voice and the meaning behind his statement fully sink in. Grinning, Clay felt a huge burden lift off his shoulders. He did indeed feel he was at home, something he hadn't felt since the day he'd left. As far as his relationship with Caitlin, well, that would take time. Sensing the best friend attitude and brotherly concern radiate off James, Clay felt completely at ease.

"I don't know how she feels about me, James. I'm not sure she'll ever be able to forgive me. But… I know how I feel about her. I love her so much it hurts. I'll never leave her again." Clay said somberly, taking the smile off James' face. Understanding, he walked over and clapped a hand on Clay's shoulder.

"Well, give her some time. She'd probably kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but she still loves you too." Looking up sharply, Clay saw the sincerity in his best friend's features. "I know she does. She never stopped loving you, or hoping that you would find your way back to us. Where you belong, my friend." Squeezing Clay's shoulder for emphasis, Clay nodded his appreciation to James. Standing back up, James too said good night and went to bed.

Lost in his own thoughts, Clay stared at the dark, star filled sky. As his thoughts drifted, he quickly found himself falling asleep. Looking over at the gently snoring man, Maria smiled. "I bet he's been through a lot." Maria said, a wisp of a smile still gracing her pretty face. Looking over from where she was leaning against Max to get a better view, Liz also smiled.

"It sounds like they all have." Liz said. Nodding in agreement, everyone sat in silence. "I'm glad we found each other." As Liz spoke the words that were in each person's mind, everyone smiled. Getting up, Maria pulled everyone back to the gravity of the current situation.

"Come on guys, we need to get to sleep too." Moving to their respective tents, Michael stopped long enough to wake Clay. Gathering his thoughts, Clay looked up at the stars one more time before heading off to his sleeping bag.

Turning over restlessly, Caitlin began tossing her head frantically.

"No Petrax. Leave them alone!" Moving to block the tyrant's way, Caitlin boldly lifted her hand to defend her loved ones and friends. Glaring at the obstinate woman, Petrax reigned in his temper to try another approach.

"You have not changed, Kristlyn. You continue to place the welfare of those fools above your own welfare. Give in now, and spare yourself and your friends the fate you all shared before. I will not be refused again, Kristlyn." Petrax's menacing voice forced out through gritted teeth. With a twitch of his fingers, Petrax forcibly shoved Caitlin's arms to her side. Finding herself involuntarily moving, Caitlin slowly moved downwards until she was sitting on the hard packed Earth. Looking at Petrax in fury, Caitlin saw the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, utterly pleased with himself for rendering her helpless without much effort.

"You may be smug now, Petrax, but you won't stand a chance against all the royals." Caitlin spit out, anger evident in her ocean blue eyes. Seeing the tumult of her emotions there, Petrax snickered at her hopes.

"Pathetic Kristlyn. The royals were easily defeated before, and will be again. The question is: will you once again die with them?" Petrax asked, hoping the strong willed woman would see the futility in fighting him. Knocking her against the ground to emphasize his point, Petrax grinned as the air rapidly left Caitlin's lungs.

Coughing hard, Caitlin realized for the first time that the ground beneath her was brown and the sky above was blue. _This isn't Vorak… This is Earth… They're Here!_ Realizing the danger her companions were in, Caitlin looked at Petrax with loathing. Her fury overtook her, as she let the rage within build up to a point she couldn't control anymore. Releasing a cataclysmic energy wave, Caitlin pulled herself out of the dream world before knocking Petrax so hard with the energy that he awoke with a painful migraine.

"Bitch…" Petrax uttered, pressing his hand against his head in pain.

Upon waking up, Caitlin immediately ran out of the tent. Sensing that the others were still asleep and no one was in the immediate vicinity of their camp, Caitlin walked to a large oak tree close to the center of the camp. Sitting against it, she closed her eyes and concentrated. _There's no point in waking the others… they'll need their rest… I'll have to stand guard tonight…_ With her decision made, Caitlin slowly began drawing on the power within her. As her energy levels increased, the energy within several group members began spiking. Exhausted, the energy spikes were not powerful enough to wake the others. As her energy reached the level she needed it to be, Caitlin put up a huge blue shield around the camp. Holding her position until dawn, Clay woke up to find her in that position. With her eyes closed in concentration, she was leaning against the tree for support when he walked up to her. 

"Caitlin…" Clay whispered, half afraid of what had brought her out here to encase the camp with the shield and too scared of how long she had been holding this position to do much more than whisper. When she didn't answer, he bent down on one knee by her side and gently touched her face. "Caitlin…" Clay once again whispered. Startled but not scared, Caitlin opened her eyes. Unable to focus at first, she blinked a couple of times before Clay's face became clear.

"Clay." As Caitlin said his name, in that one moment Clay's heart clenched in his chest. _She's shut me out; that's why she is out here by herself. Petrax must have been in her dreams again, but she kept me purposefully out of her heart and mind. She has blocked our connection. Why?_ Sighing at the futility of the question, Clay resolved to deal with the situation at hand instead.

"Caitlin, what did you dream? What brought you out here to guard the entire camp by yourself?" Clay asked, desperately wanting to touch her when seeing the pain in her face. Looking at Clay, Caitlin finally felt the fatigue of staying up most of the night and maintaining the shield on her own. The energy drain was almost too much for her. Closing her eyes and concentrating, Caitlin drew on the energy deep within her. Once again, the energy levels within the majority of the group members began spiking. Managing to split her attention between the shield and Clay for a moment, she quickly explained what she could.

"He's here. Petrax is on Earth. In my dream last night, he… something he did made me realize the setting was different. He's no longer on Vorak with Kivar. He's here on Earth looking for us, and he's angry." Caitlin let the words fall from her lips, too tired to put emotion or sentiment behind them. Understanding the severity of their situation, and why Caitlin would choose to let the others sleep and hold this burden on her own, Clay released a string of curses. Looking down again, he saw the color drain from Caitlin's face.

Without warning, energy blasts began rocking the blue haze surrounding the camp. Uttering a small cry, Caitlin gritted her teeth. Drawing on every ounce of energy within her, she forced herself to drown out Clay's calming voice and focus on the attack her shield was receiving. Looking at the pale face, Clay knew instinctively what Caitlin was doing. Quickly standing up, Clay went to wake James when he saw him running towards him.

"Clay! What's going on?" Looking at his quickly waning sister, James snapped his head around as another set of rapid blasts were released. That's when he noticed the shield. Realizing what his sister was doing, and only able to guess at how long she had held the shield by the looks of her taunt features, he hesitated to risk an energy boost. As the others began running out of tents and looking around frantically, James decided he had no choice. Yanking Clay back by the scuff of his shirt, James lifted his hand.

_Screams_ The fatigue, fear and concern behind Caitlin's screams froze everyone in position. Trying to limit the amount of energy he gave her, James found his energy almost being ripped away from him. His sister's pull was enormous, as she tried to gather as much energy as she could. After several seconds, James collapsed to the ground. Caitlin had been drained severely, rendering him helpless as he sat watching her gather the energy she had been in desperate need of. Opening her eyes for the first time since James' arrival, Caitlin looked at her brother with bloodshot, angry eyes. Shocked at the rage he saw within them, James looked down involuntarily.

Closing her eyes, Caitlin concentrated on her surroundings. "Clay, James, you must get the others. Tell them to lay flat on the ground. Hurry! You must do it now!" Caitlin said in a barely audible voice. Hearing the plea behind her command, James and Clay acted immediately. Not a moment after everyone hugged the ground and closed their eyes; Caitlin released the second energy shockwave of that night. Unable to focus on two separate tasks, Caitlin let the shockwave rip through her shield and the enemy soldiers barraging it with energy blasts of their own. After the shockwave of energy rippled to nonexistence, the group hugging the ground stood up. Looking over, there was not one enemy in sight.

"Wow!" Kyle said, not believing his eyes. Looking around, the next thing he saw was Caitlin leaning against the oak tree. With eyes closed and shallow breathing, it didn't look good for her. Walking over, he joined James and Clay as they tried to wake her.

"The energy she let loose ripped through her shield, it must have taken a lot out of her when did that." James said, looking down at his younger sister in concern. Filled with dread, Clay bent down and picked her up. Walking over to the girls' tent, Clay went inside and laid Caitlin down. As everyone watched, Max became aware once again of the deadliness of the situation.

"James, Isabel, you two stand watch. We need to get our stuff together. Michael and Liz will relieve you guys so you can get ready once they are." Max spoke, James and Isabel moved. Putting up a shield, albeit not over the entire camp as Caitlin had been able to do, James sat in her place and maintained it until it was time for Michael and Liz to replace him and Isabel. As the two walked over, James started standing up.

"Liz, can you put a shield up by yourself?" James asked, not sure it was a good idea to leave the camp open until they left. Understanding his concern, Liz tried to put up a shield of her own. Unable to, she shook her head.

"I guess I can only do it when I am connected to Max. Sorry James." As the three of them stood together trying to decide what to do, Isabel walked back over and said that Max was more concerned that they hurry and get their things. They were almost ready to go. So as James and Isabel went to quickly get ready, Michael and Liz took opposite sides of the tree and watched the outskirts of camp.

As James gathered his gear and went to shove it in the back of the CR-V, he saw Clay hovering protectively over Caitlin in the backseat. Trying not to disturb the peaceful scene, he quickly stuffed his gear in the back and went to locate Max. Finding him with the others around the big oak tree, James walked up hesitantly.

"Guys, Caitlin needs rest. And until she gets it, neither her nor Clay will be any good to this group." James said, looking at Max. Understanding the older man's concern for his sister and friend, Max looked around the group.

"Okay, she protected us, it's our turn. There is a motel along the highway we took to get to the campgrounds. We can stay there for tonight. Tomorrow we go to Baker's farmhouse. James, Baker is a friend who left his homestead to us. It is secluded, so it should be safe." As Max spoke, everyone nodded their heads in agreement. When Max explained about the farmhouse, James got the distinct impression that it was meant to be their safe hideaway. With impending trouble, he was grieved knowing that once again they would have to seek out a safe place to live.

With Max, Michael, Kyle, Isabel, Maria, and Liz piled up in the van, and James, Caitlin, and Clay in the CR-V, both groups headed toward the motel. After getting four rooms, the group split up while planning on meeting in Caitlin's room in a couple of hours. As each person walked off, James stayed with Caitlin as Clay took their gear to the room. Looking around, he wasn't quite satisfied with the looks of the room. He quickly changed the comforter to a deep, rich burgundy, one of Caitlin's favorite colors. Next he fluffed several pillows and stacked them in different places on the bed. Satisfied that Caitlin would be comfortable, he went outside to get her.

"Thanks." The rough acknowledgement of James' guard duty slipped through Clay's lips. Moving aside, James allowed his best friend to carefully pick up Caitlin and take her to the motel room. Seeing his charge taken care of, James began unloading his own gear and went off in the direction Michael and Kyle had gone in.

As Clay placed Caitlin on the double bed, he saw her unconsciously move toward the pillow by her arms and the pillow at her legs. Smiling, he checked the locked door one more time before walking over and lying down next to Caitlin. Falling asleep in a matter of minutes, Clay unconsciously entered Caitlin's dream world.

"Clay… Clay…" Hearing Caitlin's soft voice call to him, Clay entered the mist that had filled her mind. Looking around, he didn't see Caitlin at first. Following her voice, he saw her standing there with her hand outstretched. "Clay…" Walking up to her slowly, Clay saw the sorrow and anger in her eyes.

"Caitlin…" Needing to hold her, he pulled her gently into his arms. As the tears began to fall, his heart shattered into a hundred pieces. Caitlin wept for several minutes before the tide of emotion passed. Holding her, Clay just stood there letting it run its course.

"Clay… I've been so lost without you. I love you…" As Caitlin whispered the words, Clay's heart constricted. Letting Caitlin go and bringing her around until she looked directly in his eyes, Clay let his love for her show without restraint.

"I love you too Caitlin. I promise… we will always be together." Clay emphasized each word to make Caitlin understand. As a soft smile appeared on Caitlin's face, Clay knew they would be together forever. Wanting more than a dream world could provide, Clay gently woke them both up. Looking down at the woman who slowly turned in his arms, Clay assured Caitlin again and again of his love and dedication to her. Placing one finger on his mouth, Caitlin yearned for more than words. She longed to possess and be possessed by Clay. She wanted their union to be a permanent one. Seeing her need and desire, Clay's breath caught in his throat. It had been over three years since either had made love to anyone, wanting only the other and unwilling to share themselves with anyone else.

Bending his head to claim Caitlin's soft lips, Clay started the long, blissful lovemaking that claimed them. Afterwards, they both clung to each other, not wanting to let go of the warmth and love the other radiated. Before long, they fell into a deep sleep. Clay once again found himself entering Caitlin's dream world, the ease of which would later frighten him. He seemed connected to Caitlin in a way that he could no longer deny. All fantasies he might once had held about keeping her distant for her own safety disappeared. He finally accepted their destiny together, acknowledging that from this moment on, anything they encountered they would deal with together.

Walking along the feet trodden path, Caitlin looked up at the beautiful blue sky. Sighing, she smiled as an unexpected peace filled her. Looking over, she saw Clay walk up to her. Radiating love and affection, she smiled up at him. Smiling in response, Clay took one more step before opening his arms to her. As Caitlin moved to hug Clay, a powerful force stopped her. Questioning her hesitation, Clay saw the look of surprise on Caitlin's face. As it quickly changed to concern and then fear, Clay looked around trying to find the source. Laughing, Petrax stepped into Clay's line of vision.

"Hello, brother." Petrax snickered. Growling, Clay stepped between Petrax and Caitlin, effectively using his immense energy to block Petrax's grip on Caitlin. Free, Caitlin turned until she stood beside Clay, glaring at Petrax. "Ah, isn't this sweet. Once again you are reunited. Ah, well, it makes things easier. Killing Kilsnar and Clarek will force Kristlyn to return to me." A smile that didn't reach his eyes appeared on Petrax's face.

"Return to you? You are a fool. I never loved you, and I never will." Caitlin said, glaring at Petrax so hard he could almost feel the heat.

"Be careful Kristlyn, I almost believe you. The attack on your camp was a passing amusement. Do you always feel the need to guard your friends with your life? That's a dangerous habit, you know. Selena made that mistake once, but her death is nothing compared to the devastation I will wreak upon you and your friends if you do not take your rightful place at my side." Petrax's face lost all pretence at humor. Still, Caitlin could not move. The threat loomed in the air and all she could do was stand there as visions of Sonya's dead body ran through her mind. Furious that his brother would dare mention Sonya's name with such disrespect and threaten Caitlin all in one breath, Clay lost all control.

"Petrax, this is the last time you enter Caitlin's dreams. Do you understand?" Clay grounded out. Shaking his head, Petrax just glowered.

"You couldn't help her back then, Clarek. Don't be foolish, what makes you think you are strong enough to help her now?" Petrax asked, knowing full well that this hybrid didn't stand a chance against his powers. Reaching out, Clay grasped Caitlin's hand and as he made contact, a bright white light engulfed them. Instantly, Petrax was consumed and no longer visible. As the light rescinded, Clay and Caitlin smiled in relief. Clay turned to gently embrace Caitlin in his arms. Enjoying the feel of his skin against hers and his breath on her face, Caitlin smiled up at the man whose absence had caused her so much heartache.

"Clay… I've missed you." Caitlin's cheek gleamed with a single tear that ran down it. Catching his breath, Clay unconsciously wiped away the tear before leaning down and kissing her. As their lips made contact, endearments and expressions of love wordlessly traveled to each of them, grateful to allow their hearts to connect once again. Breaking the kiss first, Caitlin stood back from Clay and smiled. Before his eyes, Caitlin dissolved into thin air, her last words echoing in his mind. "I love you…"

Feeling his connection to Caitlin quickly fade, Clay became alarmed. Leaving the dream world he woke up with a start. As he looked around, he didn't see Caitlin anywhere. The front door flapped hard against the wall, drawing his attention. Standing up, Clay ran outside only to see a bright gold haze. Knocked off his feet, Clay laid unconscious for several hours. Finding his resting place, Michael and the others picked Clay up and laid him on the motel bed. Too concerned to speak, leave, or rest, everyone stayed by his side watching him breath in and out until he finally awoke.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 6**              

Slowly sitting up, Clay put his hand to his head. The dull ache was unexpected. Seeing Max move toward him, he looked his new friend in the eyes and saw the concern deep within them. As Clay looked around, he saw the same concern echoed in the eyes of his other friends. Max placed his hand on Clay's head, quickly forming a connection. Once the connection was made, Max sought out the source of his friend's headache and healed it. While connected, a rush of images flooded Max's mind. Clay and Sonya leaving the pods together, holding hands; Clay and Caitlin as childhood friends; Clay and James as boys causing trouble together; Clay and Caitlin as teenagers, realizing for the first time that their destinies were together because of their love instead of what Claire had told them; The emptiness that overtook Clay at Sonya's death; Clay feeling helpless, seeing Caitlin's pain as Petrax tortured her in her dreams, leaving him no choice but to leave after Sonya's death; Clay's joy and pride at seeing the woman Caitlin had become; Clay's overwhelming love for Caitlin, and the strength of their bond; Clay's fear and sadness at once again losing his lifelong love.

Rocked back by the emotions filling Clay's soul, Max stumbled until he reached the wall. Looking down, Max saw the pained expression covering Clay's face. _The flash…_ Concerned at the range of emotions crossing Clay's face, Max knew he'd seen. He'd seen their failure, their utter inability to protect those they loved. Clay knew Caitlin and Isabel were gone.

Rising slowly from the bed, Clay looked around. He could see the concern, defeat, and shame written on the faces of those around him. Walking towards the door, then changing his mind, he went back and once again sat on the bed he had recently been sleeping on. Seeing the time of day, he figured he must have been unconscious for several hours. Thinking back on the flashes he'd seen, he couldn't seem to get pass the point of James and his whereabouts. _Where was James? What was that gold haze that knocked me on my ass?_ As Clay questioned the events, James seemed to understand where is thoughts were going.

"I did the best I could Clay. I thought everything was fine, I had felt Caitlin's serenity for hours as you two finally let each other back in. I didn't know she was in trouble until I felt her cry out in pain. By that time, Maria was screaming as Kivar broke into their room and took Isabel. When I went out to help, I saw three men dragging Caitlin away. I reached out to her, but when our energies met, something happened. I can't explain it, but the next thing we saw was a gold light and then… and then she was gone. They all were, Kivar and Caitlin and Isabel." James choked on the last two names, his sister and his cousin. How could he have failed them so miserably?

Understanding, Clay nodded his head. _I know how you feel, my friend. We both failed._ Sighing, it was time to get things together. Looking at Max, Clay could see the quiet determination to get their loved ones back. His youth aside, Max radiated power and strength, a born leader.

"Will they want to finish us even though they have what they came for?" Kyle asked, not sure if they'd have the chance to get the girls back. Looking over sharply, Michael grunted.

"They'll be back. They can't just leave us alive, they know they'll have to deal with us sooner or later." As Michael spoke, Max and the others nodded their heads. Max walked towards the far wall and looked out the motel window.

"They'll be back. We need to be ready though, and somewhere more secluded then this. The motel is too out in the open. There's no telling who could get hurt or what they'd see." As Max spoke, everyone understood his concern and shared it. "I still want us to go to Baker's farmhouse. But if we survive this next fight, we'll need a safe place to go. I think we should go back to the campgrounds, back to the clearing where we first met Caitlin and James."

Agreeing, the group made plans to head out as soon as everyone had packed and loaded the cars. As everyone gathered together outside their respective vehicles, Max walked over and shook hands with James and Clay. "I just want you two to know, there was nothing either of you could have done. I'm grateful to have both of you with us. Don't worry guys, we'll get them back." Max finished assuring them, and then jumped into the aged van as the others piled in. The drive to the campgrounds was a silent one. Thinking of Isabel, the group filling the van could not bring themselves to voice their concerns. The air seemed thick with apprehension. James and Clay weren't doing much better, unable to take their eyes off the road ahead of them and the battle that waited. While the group lost themselves in thought, Isabel and Caitlin were just awakening.

Sitting up, Caitlin looked around her. The room she was in was empty except for her and Isabel. Looking over the younger woman, she decided she was sleeping and would probably wake soon. Leaving her be, Caitlin stood up and walked around the room, testing the door that remained the only entrance and exit. As she did so, Isabel woke up and sat up.

"Where are we?" Isabel's voice wavered slightly, not sure she really wanted to know. Turning around, Caitlin smiled at seeing her friend awake. As she walked back over to sit down beside her, Caitlin told her that she didn't know where they were.

"Isabel, if you feel okay, we can try and get out of here. I didn't sense any guards outside the door. We might be able to get out of here on our own." Caitlin's theory was a theory at best, but one Isabel was willing to consider. She didn't exactly want to stay there and find out what Kivar wanted with her. Agreeing, they both stood up and walked towards the door.

Both women lifted their hands preparing to expel enough energy to rip the door out of its hinges when it suddenly opened of its own accord. Shocked, both women stood still, watching as three men walked in. Caitlin instantly recognized Petrax, while Isabel took a few seconds to figure out where she had seen the familiar looking man before. As recognition dawned, Isabel's attention was drawn to a man to Petrax's left as he stepped forward.

"Kivar…" Isabel screeched, feeling faint all of a sudden. Caitlin reached out to support her friend. Glaring at the newcomers, Caitlin marked each one for death. Amused at the whole scene, Kivar laughed.

"Yes, Volandra. I have come for you." As Kivar spoke, Isabel went weak in the knees again. Willing some of her strength and resolve into her cousin, Caitlin stood there holding her close.

"You both have made a fatal mistake. The rightful Kings of Antar and Vorak will not rest until they get their sisters back unharmed." Caitlin said boldly, drawing strength from the knowledge that it was true. Max loved his sister to no end, and would not hesitate to kill anyone who dared to threaten her. James, while insistently teasing and aggravating her to no end, loved her as dearly as she loved him. She _knew_ her brother would never give up until he found, because she would never give up on him.

Looking at the woman by Volandra's side for the first time, Kivar became entranced upon meeting the depths of her ocean blue eyes head on. A smile slowly crossed his face. _Hmm… Impressive… Strength… Beauty... Power… No wonder Petrax wants her for himself. Hmm… I might have to change those plans slightly._ As Kivar continued to eat Caitlin up with his hungry eyes, she became incensed. _How dare he!_ Knowing better than to lose her temper when they were both so obviously outnumbered and outmatched, Caitlin barely kept a lid on it.

"You are looking at your King. And rest assured, Volandra is _not_ my sister. And neither are you. So what comes of you both is up to me, and believe me, I do _not_ have brotherly intentions." Kivar spoke in a charming voice that belied the steel resolve beneath it. Glancing over, Petrax looked at Kivar. He understood what he wanted with Volandra, with the one who was going by Isabel. But Kristlyn?? No, he must have misunderstood. Getting fidgety, Petrax spoke up.

"Kristlyn, you speak out of turn, as usual. You will have to learn your place before we arrive at Vorak. I will not have a wife at my side who does not know her place." Petrax said, obviously annoyed. Looking over, Caitlin saw the expression on Petrax's face. _He's serious!_ Sensing that Isabel had recovered after the shock of seeing Kivar, Caitlin released her and watched as she once again gained her full height. About to let loose with a scathing remark along the lines of how she would never be Petrax's wife, Caitlin was surprised when Kivar spoke.

"Petrax, do not concern yourself with having Caitlin as a wife. All you need be concerned about is producing an heir." _I have other plans for her._ Glancing over, Petrax looked really annoyed. Though he guessed that Kivar was probably right, he did need an heir. Without it, he would never be able to solidify his claim to Vorak. Brutality could only go so far, and after being forced to kill Kristlyn last time and living everyday since alone, he was determined to make it work with her this time.

Caitlin, on the other hand, was looking as if that was the last thing she would ever allow to happen. Tired of playing games, Petrax walked over and placed his hand on Caitlin's stomach.

"You will produce an heir. You will be mine." In those words Petrax let all of his longing and determination come through. Looking into her eyes, Petrax saw that she knew. For the first time she knew the loss of hope. Without her brother or lover she was lost, and he could see it. _I've won…_ At that moment, Petrax froze. The Flash overcame him suddenly. Visions of Caitlin teasing Clay as teenagers before going out on her first date washed over him. Her smile and the twinkle in her eyes that were only there when she looked at Clay appeared. Her sorrow at Sonya's death consumed him, and her loss at Clay's disappearance filled him with pain. He saw Caitlin's surprise and love at seeing Clay again after three years. He saw her anger at seeing Clay and her brother about to kill each other. He saw the pain she had lived with alone for so long as every night he entered her dreams and tortured her. He saw Caitlin's need to protect her loved ones and friends with her life. He saw Caitlin allowing Clay back in, and he _felt_ her love for his brother as they bonded themselves to each other in the most intimate way any man or woman could. And then he felt it… a new life forming cell by cell within her womb. Several seconds later, he looked into Caitlin's shocked eyes. Beneath the shock he saw it, he saw the love she held for Clay and their child and he lost it. Anger and bitterness of never getting what he wanted, of always losing this woman to his brother, of the years of waiting to find her and claim her as his own, came to a head as he exploded.

"NO!!!! You will produce an heir for me, of my blood. Not of _his_!" Petrax saw the unwavering conviction in Caitlin's shining eyes and the set jaw that said of all things that would never happen. On the verge of doing irreversible harm, Petrax stiffly stepped back. Taking a step forward, Kivar narrowed his eyes.

"What is going on?" The steel behind Kivar's voice would brook no argument, and so Petrax had to lay his shame down in front of this brutal conqueror.

"She is pregnant, with Clarek's child." Petrax said through gritted teeth, still barely hanging onto his anger. Sighing, Kivar understood why Petrax was angry. But it was hardly worth noting. The baby could not be allowed to live and that was that. As Kivar shrugged off Caitlin's pregnancy as nothing more than a minor inconvenience, Caitlin and Isabel both stood in shock. Images of a future that she desperately wanted ran through Caitlin's mind, restoring the hope she had lost. Coming out of the initial shock, Isabel looked at Caitlin. Her cousin was pregnant, could have a family with the man she loved, and yet that might never happen if they didn't get out of here. _It's not fair… I have a husband, and I can't even be with him. Yet she can have a child with the man she loves._ Consumed by bitterness, Isabel stood rooted to the floor. As soon as Kivar spoke, Caitlin and Isabel both felt the coldness and utter lack of regard with which Kivar treated Caitlin and her child.

"The baby is of no consequence. Eliminate it." Kivar commanded, forcing Petrax to look at him.

"It could kill her." Petrax said, not willing to give Kristlyn up just yet. Starting to get annoyed, Kivar looked at the man he had so generously given Vorak too many years before.

"She can be healed. The child cannot be born." Kivar's coldness finally sank through to Isabel's bitter and angry heart. She felt ashamed for allowing jealousy to rule her emotions, and her good wishes towards her cousin. Sensing a change in mood in Petrax, Isabel watched in horror as the man stepped forward and placed a shining hand near Caitlin's stomach.

"You will _not_ hurt my baby!" Caitlin screamed. Lifting her hand to protect herself and her child, Caitlin watched in horror as Petrax laughed. _He's laughing!_ Building energy levels as quickly as she could, Caitlin noticed Kivar signaling to the third man. After a second passed, six soldiers rushed into the room and circled her. Getting ready to release an enormous amount of energy and put up her shield, Caitlin never got the chance as all six soldiers jumped on her at once. Fighting against them unsuccessfully, Petrax slowly lifted her off the ground.

"You will never have your heir or me." In that one sentence, Caitlin said it all. All her hatred and frustration hit Petrax like a four by four in his stomach. Frozen, he gasped for air and tried to steady his breathing. With his air went his restraint, what mercy he had left in him disappeared. He suddenly no longer cared if the woman came willingly or not. He no longer held out hope that she would see his dedication to her for the strength he always thought it. He no longer cared if she suffered pain, only that he was made to suffer no more. So he focused his anger on Caitlin and her child. Signaling to the soldiers, four men held her in place, locking her arms behind her back. The remaining two did the same to Isabel, who was too dazed to even notice. Petrax increased his energy to the point where it was almost beyond his control. The hand a hair's breath from Caitlin's yet unborn joy was glowing as if to compete with the universe's most brilliant star. And then it was over, with one motion of his hand Petrax laid it on Caitlin's stomach and forever claimed his place in hell. His hand burned through the tissues blocking his way. He found his target, and mercilessly eliminated it.

Caitlin screamed with the pain, bitterness, and hopelessness that filled her at the loss of her child. Her screams rang in Isabel's ears as she stood paralyzed with horror and fear, knowing that Petrax likely killed her along with her child. Watching as the tyrant removed his hand, Isabel rushed to Caitlin as the woman collapsed. Tears streaming down Isabel's face blurred her vision of Caitlin's open and bloody form. Looking up, she managed only a whisper, "You bastard."

Looking into the eyes of Antar's princess and Kivar's trophy, Petrax knew it for the truth it was. He was a bastard, and he didn't care. Caitlin destroyed any remorse he might once have had at seeing her in such pain, on the verge of death. Replaced with emptiness, he just stared at the hollow conclave he had created in Caitlin's mid-section in wonder. Shrugging it off as a passing amusement, he turned to the third man who had remained silent.

"You know what to do." With that, Kivar nodded his head in agreement and both left leaving Isabel looking up in fear.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 7**              

After the group unloaded their gear from the van and CR-V, a debate took place between Max and Michael on whether or not they should set up camp there or move on to the clearing. Everyone remained silent to see how the debate would turn out. It was during this minor disagreement that Clay felt the first tinges of fear course up and down his spine. Trying to shrug them off, they soon became impossible to ignore. To everyone's surprise, neither Max nor Michael would be the ones settling the debate. Instead, Clay with one long swoop to the ground made the decision for them all. They would stay the night at the campgrounds, and wait for Clay to regain consciousness.

Pulled into blackness, Clay looked around confused. _Where am I? What is going on?_ Different from the dream plane, Clay didn't recognize the void where he now found himself. Turning in circles and listening, he finally decided to stop before making himself dizzy. After taking a second to regain his bearings, Clay heard it. An echo that started out faintly then began reverberating all around him.

"CLAY!!!!!!!!!!!" Cupping his hands over his ears, Clay tried to block out the pain-filled cry coming at him from every direction of the void. Continuing to hold his hands over his ears, the void must have sensed Clay's presence because the cry soon faded. His ears still ringing, Clay slowly removed his hands.

"Clay…" A whisper reached Clay's ears.

"Caitlin…" Recognizing the voice, Clay felt the drop in his stomach. Something was terribly wrong. "Caitlin! Where are you?" Looking around fervently, the dread increased ten fold when he heard nothing but silence all around him. A faint whisper finally reached his ears after a few minutes of utter fear.

"Clay… Clay… I'm dying." As Clay heard the words, he gasped. Materializing right in front of him was a shell of the woman he loved with his entire being. Looking at the face contorted by pain and sorrow, he began to cry.

"Caitlin… Caitlin, where are you? What's happening? Caitlin…" Losing control, Clay's voice cracked as he lowered his head and began sobbing. Walking over, Caitlin placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Clay, I am dying. Max and Liz might be able to heal me, but you must help them." Caitlin's soft voice belied the danger she was in.

"Max and Liz can heal you. Max and Liz can heal you..." Clay repeated the sentence over and over, as if the words alone would make it so. As Clay looked up into Caitlin's now almost unrecognizable face it was so contorted, Caitlin began to disappear.

"You must help them. Clay… help Max and Liz save me… give me something to come back to…" Caitlin's words faded away altogether and left the very frightened Clay behind.

Sitting in a circle around the campfire, Maria was the first of the five friends to see Isabel walking between the trees and straight towards the group. The sight shocked Maria into a scream as she saw her haggard looking friend carrying a body. As everyone jumped up and ran over, Isabel slowly sank to the ground. Everyone felt their eyes glued to their dear friend's blood soaked clothing. Shifting around, James saw Caitlin's body, and the now cauterized hole in her gut. Falling to the ground, he lifted Caitlin's body gently into his lap. Feeling the faint rise and fall of her chest, James began crying. Eyes bulging at the sight before them, everyone took a hesitant step back, convinced that this was James' last chance to say goodbye to his sister.

"We can save her." Clay's resolute voice shocked the group, making several of them jump. Looking up, James was surprised to see Clay conscious.

"How?" Caitlin his main concern, James didn't care what had led to Clay's mysterious blackout or what had caused his miraculous return to them. All he cared about at this moment was his sister; he refused to lose another loved one.

"Max and Liz… and me… we can heal her and bring her back to us." Clay got on his knees at Caitlin's side as he spoke. Neither Max nor Liz thought it was possible to heal Caitlin at this point, but both were willing to give it a shot. Isabel blocked their way, still in shock from the horrifying events she had witnessed. Kyle walked over and wrapped his arms around her, slowly pulling her out of the way and comforting her the best he could.

Max and Liz quickly sat beside Clay. Holding hands, they each placed their other hand on Caitlin's stomach. Flinching at the burnt flesh, Liz almost gagged at the feel of her friend. Squeezing her hand to reassure her, Max empathized. Their main concern had to be his cousin right now though. Placing his hand on the area still visible to him, Clay felt the traumatized flesh and vowed vengeance. As Max and Liz concentrated on healing the severe wound, Clay focused on Caitlin. On his love for her, on the first time he saw her when she came out of the pod and instinctively looked for her brother, on the first time he saw her in a dress to go out on a date, on the first time he punched a guy out for not leaving her alone, on the first time she saved his life and risked her own, and on the many times after that. His memories of her seemed to flow naturally, pouring out into his hand and into her body. He didn't hesitate to share the times he had been lonely and thought of her during the three years he stayed away from her. Allowing his feelings and memories to flow out into her, he later realized it was no wonder he became exhausted. Before his exhaustion claimed him, Clay received a flash.

****FLASH****

Caitlin holding Isabel protectively while offering her support.

"You both have made a fatal mistake. The rightful Kings of Antar and Vorak will not rest until they get their sisters back unharmed."

Kivar's amusement at the situation and his obvious interest in Caitlin.

"You are looking at your King."

Petrax's annoyance at Caitlin.

"I will not have a wife at my side who does not know her place."

Petrax walking over and placing his hand on Caitlin's stomach.

"You will produce an heir. You will be mine."

Caitlin's loss of hope. Without her brother or lover she was lost, and he could see it.

He saw the moment Petrax felt it… a new life forming cell by cell within Caitlin's womb. Several seconds later, Petrax saw the love Caitlin held for Clay and their child.

"NO!!!! You will produce an heir for me, of my blood." Petrax raged.

"What is going on?" Kivar spoke.

"She is pregnant, with Clarek's child."

"The baby is of no consequence. Eliminate it." Kivar commanded.

"It could kill her." Petrax hesitated.

"She can be healed. The child cannot be born." Kivar dismissed.

Caitlin refusing to let Petrax hurt their child. Her futile struggle with six soldiers.

"You will never have your heir or me." The glowing hand a hair's breathe from Caitlin's stomach. Petrax's hand burning a hole in Caitlin's mid-section. Petrax's brutal murder of his child.

Caitlin screaming, overwhelmed with pain.

"You bastard."

****FLASH****

Darkness once again claimed Clay as the images and sounds rushing passed him ended. Michael quickly placed his hands around Clay's shoulders, gently moving the man back to lie as comfortably as possible on the ground. Max and Liz could feel their energies merge with each other and that of Clay's. His memories of Caitlin, his love for her, still clung to them as they quickly finished repairing her soft tissues and the many organs that had been disintegrated or severely damaged. Exhausted, both Max and Liz were amazed with the extent they had been able to repair Caitlin's tissues. Looking at the bare, and slightly more petite stomach, both were relieved at the knowledge that she would recuperate. Sitting back, both clung together in their exhausted state.

Isabel regained some semblance of her natural color and licked her dry lips. "Is she going to be okay?" The question was so soft that Max and Liz weren't sure that they had actually heard it. When they saw Isabel staring at them expectantly, they both nodded their heads.

Looking around her, Maria saw Isabel's complexion gain more color, she saw the way Max and Liz held each other protectively in their tired state, to one side she could see Michael hovering over his unconscious cousin, and then she saw the look of concern on James' face as Caitlin continued to breath shallowly. _We're falling apart._ Her heart reached out to each of her friends. Maria walked over and squeezed James' shoulders, offering him her support and renewing her promise of friendship. Looking up, James saw the concern and boundless love Maria had for each of them. Smiling in gratitude, James took one more look at Caitlin and Clay and then sighed.

"We should take them into one of the tents so they can rest more comfortably. Doubtlessly, they will each want to see the other when they wake up." James said, unsure of what had caused Clay to pass out again but convinced it had something to do with Caitlin's current condition. Agreeing, Michael and Max carried Clay into the girls' tent while James carried Caitlin. They had decided Maria and Isabel would share the guys' tent with Michael, James and Kyle. It was the easiest arrangement they could come up with since it was the biggest tent.

After the group saw to their charges, James remained outside of the tent Clay and Caitlin now occupied. Resigned, he refused to be more than five feet away from his sister and best friend. Looking around the camp, his vantage point gave him a clear view of the others. He could see Max and Liz still clinging to each other, resting the best they could in the midst of their deep concern. He saw Maria talking to Isabel with Kyle, as the two tried their best to get his shaken cousin to calm down. When her voice became frantic and loud, everyone began shifting to hear what was being said. He found himself also curious, and moving forward to join them.

"Isabel, calm down. They will be okay. Caitlin will be okay. You are okay." Maria said to one of her best friends. Trying to calm Isabel down was proving a difficult task.

"No they won't. How can they be after what that bastard did to her?" Isabel said, frustrated and upset. Seeing that his sister needed reassurance, Max reached out and hugged her.

"It will be okay Iz. Her wound was severe, and it might take some time before she is able to get over that kind of trauma emotionally, but physically she's okay. And in time, she will be emotionally as well." Max soothed.

"No!" Isabel jerked back from her brother, startling everyone in the close circle of friends. "You don't understand what he did! What that bastard did to her! To Clay! I just stood there and let him do it… I just stood there…" Isabel began sobbing anew. Looking confused, Max glanced at Liz.

"Isabel, what did he do?" Liz asked gently, just as confused as Max and the others.

"He killed Caitlin's baby with his hand. Caitlin and Clay's baby." Isabel moaned, the memories of it flooding her mind's eye. Shocked, everyone sat in silence.

"Oh my gawd!" James whispered, on the verge of breaking down. _That bastard!_ As thoughts of murder ran through his mind, they were soon replaced with thoughts of little fingers and toes, little hands, and a great big smile. The images seemed to be consuming him, filling him with feelings of love, letting him know that everything was okay. Looking back at the tent where he left Caitlin and Clay, James stood back up and walked over to resume his guard duty. They would both have a lot to deal with when they woke up, Caitlin's miraculous healing would be the least of it.

As James left, Michael watched him. As his eyes drifted towards the tent, his thoughts went out to its occupants. He couldn't imagine what he would feel if it had been Maria in that bastard's hands, and not Caitlin. The thought chilled him to the core. Reaching out, he snaked his hands around Maria's waist and pulled her onto his lap. Hanging on, Maria let Michael move her. Although they were not officially back together, they both seemed aware of the emotions and physical presence of the other. Hoping that one day Maria would let him back in, Michael gently stroked Maria's gorgeous blonde hair. Knowing that one day she would let Michael back into her heart, Maria let the feel of his caresses slowly permeate her entire being. Consumed with the feel and smell of Michael Geurin, Maria reveled in his strength.

While the two would be lovers sat united in this brief time, a change seemed to ripple throughout both. Aware of the others thoughts and feelings, they clung tighter to each other. Choosing to cherish this time instead of being afraid, their hearts began opening. While only a slight change, the crack they together started would later open completely until neither could live without the other. An overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility filled their hearts. Resting together peacefully, Michael and Maria sat together, content to let Kyle console Isabel the best he could.

While his heart went out to Isabel, Kyle began wondering if the tears would ever stop. He couldn't imagine the terror of witnessing such an event, but he knew it wasn't Isabel's fault. There was nothing she could've done to stop him. _And if she had tried…_ Kyle shivered. He didn't want to think about it. All that matters now is that Isabel and Caitlin are safe, and they were all together. Why they couldn't just pick up and run as far and as fast as they could, he didn't know. He had a bad feeling about sticking around and fighting Petrax and Kivar. He still couldn't believe they let Isabel walk away from them with Caitlin. Getting the chills for no reason, Kyle forced himself to concentrate on Isabel. _Yep, I've got a bad feeling about this all right._ Kyle's soothing voice finally sunk into Isabel, and she soon stopped sobbing. Resting against his shoulder, Isabel fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 8**              

Waking up from his deep slumber, Clay looked around. Confused, it took a minute before Clay realized where he was. As he looked down he saw Caitlin's sleeping form next to him. _Caitlin…_ He still couldn't believe it. She had been pregnant, with their child. His heart constricted. _Our child…_ How those words filled him with such happiness, happiness he thought he would never have. The thought of him and Caitlin being together, having a family, and being happy filled him with such joy. As he remembered that Caitlin was no longer carrying his child, that Petrax had destroyed their child and almost Caitlin with it he cried. Gently picking Caitlin up so as not to disturb her, he held her in his arms until he fell asleep. When Caitlin awoke, she found herself in Clay's loving embrace.

Looking at the rise and fall of Clay's chest, Caitlin smiled at the love he filled her with. She didn't want this moment to ever end. Above all else they needed love and peace in their lives, and this moment was filled with both. Knowing that neither would last, Caitlin sighed. Grimacing, Caitlin realized that Clay was waking up. _Oh well…_ As he started to turn and look down, their eyes met and held for several seconds. Needing reassurance, Caitlin whispered Clay's name. "Clay…"

The fear and doubt behind the whisper made Clay's chest hurt. "Caitlin." The need behind Clay's voice shocked her. Hugging him fiercely to her, Caitlin whispered endearments over and over to him. Soaking in the love Caitlin bestowed on him, Clay smiled. Remembering all that she had gone through by herself, he looked down at her. Seeing the anguish in his eyes, Caitlin saw the knowledge held deep within them. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to cry. She mourned their loss, opening the floodgates that allowed Clay to grieve also. Together they vowed to avenge their unborn child's death. Through their tears they made promises, promises of a new life together. In the several minutes that passed they forever bound themselves together, their fates intertwined and from that moment on, what one person experienced, so did the other.

James was sitting outside the tent when he suddenly heard voices. Nothing distinct came through, but Clay and Caitlin were obviously awake. Thankful they were both up and feeling well enough to talk, he exhaled sharply. He was going to have to have a talk with Clay before this day was through. While the grieving would not end for several weeks he was sure, he still needed to talk to his best friend about getting his sister pregnant. Though he was 25 and Caitlin close to it, the fact that they were adults was not reason enough to go around starting families. _Call it the brother in me, but they should be married._ Standing up, James briskly paced back and forth in the tent. He loved Caitlin, and Clay, no matter what they did. But he wanted more for his sister and her children than that. She needed someone stable in her life and if Clay left her again, she might not be strong enough to survive it again.

Not knowing the thoughts of her brother, Caitlin smiled up into Clay's shining eyes and hugged him. Knowing they would be together as long as they could, Caitlin and Clay just hugged each other. Hearing the frantic pacing outside of the tent, both guessed it was James anxious to see how they were doing. Squeezing Clay fiercely for one last hug, Caitlin got up and walked outside. The moment she stepped outside the tent, her brother's strong arms overtook her. Pulled off her feet into a brotherly embrace, Caitlin squeaked. Rushing out of the tent, Clay almost ran head long into his best friend and future bride.

"James! Set her down. What are you trying to do? Scare us to death?! And be careful with her will you, she still needs to regain her strength." Clay immediately chastised James. Blushing, James gently sat Caitlin down and glared at Clay. Looking Caitlin over quickly and assessing her condition, he was pleased to note the color coming back into her face and the slightly more petite but more importantly whole tummy of his younger sister.

"Caitlin, how do you feel?" James asked full of concern. Looking into her brother's eyes, Caitlin became overwhelmed with a sense of sorrow. Bursting into tears, she hugged him and began chanting over and over again.

"Don't leave me James, don't ever leave me. Please don't leave, please don't leave…" Shocked by Caitlin's cries, James hugged her gently to himself.

"I'm not leaving Caitlin. You know I'd never leave you." Looking up, James plastered his eyes on Clay, unable to resist the thought _unlike some people_. Feeling uncomfortable by the look James was giving him, Clay grimaced. _I thought he'd forgiven me._ Deciding that he would need to talk to James later, Clay walked over and placed his hand on Caitlin's shoulder. Willing her to calm down, he was surprised when she turned and glared at him.

"It's your fault! He leaves because of you! Why can't you guys ever get it together! Sonya's death wasn't anyone's fault. She made the decision to not ask for help. She made the decision to leave us. Can't you understand?!" Caitlin rebounded on her brother as well. "We're stronger as a team, a unit, even without Sonya here with us we're stronger together than apart." Caitlin starts shaking, unable to control the rage building within her. Stepping back from James and Clay, Caitlin began glaring at them both. Stunned, both men stood there and stared back.

"You… left me. You left me Clay! How could you! And you… you let him go. How could you do that?" The onslaught of her fury and confusion hit James and Clay like the renowned monsoons of India. Sudden and with great impact, both men felt bile begin to rise in their silent throats. Spinning around, Caitlin saw Liz and the others start coming towards her. As everyone circled her, looking on in concern, Caitlin began feeling trapped. Looking back at her brother, she once again broke down into tears.

"Don't leave me James, don't leave me." Softening at his sister's turmoil, James slowly took a step forward, holding his arms out for Caitlin to come to him. Moving forward, Caitlin suddenly stopped. Frozen in fear, she began sending images of battle and death to each member of the group. Unaware of what she was doing, Caitlin stood rooted to her spot. As the images faded, Caitlin gained control of her senses again.

"NO!!!" Refusing to let anyone die, Caitlin stoked her energy until levels were so high that everyone except Kyle and Maria began shaking. Drawing on all of the energy she was holding within her, Caitlin put up a shield around the entire camp. Unwilling to let anyone die no matter how much rage she currently felt, Caitlin lowered herself to the ground. Determined to hold the shield for as long as necessary, Caitlin sat and waited in concentration.

Looking around, Kyle became confused. "What is she doing? We're not under attack. Why is she holding the shield up? And what were those horrible pictures?" As Kyle asked the question that was on everyone's minds, an enormous energy blast shocked the entire group into jumping. As blast after blast rocked the shield, Max and Michael ran to look at the enemy's location. Seeing no one, they looked at each other in confusion. As James and Clay realized what was confusing Max and Michael, they both looked at Caitlin.

"We're not under attack. Caitlin is doing it. I don't know how, but she is causing it." James said, looking at his sister in fear for the first time in close to twenty-five years. Rushing over to where Caitlin sat, Clay held both her shoulders in his hands.

"Caitlin, look at me. Look at me." Gently shaking her, Clay was relieved when Caitlin's eyes slowly opened. "Caitlin, listen, there is no attack. You are causing the energy blasts. Stop Caitlin, stop!" Clay's command registered not at all. Caitlin's eyes remained blank of emotion or understanding. "Caitlin! You must stop. You are just hurting yourself. You must stop!"

Seeing the futility behind Clay's attempts, James walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're not getting through to her, let me help." Looking up, Clay accepted James' help. Moving over slightly, James joined his sister and friend on the ground. Together, Clay and James called to Caitlin, asking her to stop. At one point, they almost thought they'd reached her. When she continued to stare straight ahead, they gave up. Releasing her, both men stood up and looked around helplessly.

Seeing their need, Liz's heart went out to them. Taking Max's hand, both of them walked over and sat in front of Caitlin. "Caitlin…" As Liz called out to the older woman, her soft voice penetrated the depths of despair that Caitlin found herself trapped in. Too weak to escape on her own, Caitlin continued to weaken as the energy blast she was propelling against her own shield continued. "Caitlin…" _Liz…_ Looking around, all Caitlin saw was the black and occasionally white-flecked void. Wanting so much to escape, to see her friends and loved ones again, Caitlin clung to Liz's voice, desperately trying to ride it as a wave out of the misery she was in. "Caitlin…" _Liz… Liz… help me… Liz…_

Startled, Liz gasped when she heard the cry fill her mind and soul. Catching his attention, Max saw Liz's face pale by several shades. Quickly forming a connection with her, Max too whitened as he heard Caitlin's silent cries of despair. The desperation behind them knocked him of his butt. Quickly sitting back up, he took Liz's hand in his and held one of Caitlin's hands with his other one. Motioning at Liz to do the same, she quickly followed suite. Reaching out with their minds and hearts, Max and Liz called out to Caitlin. As they did so, the blackness surrounding Caitlin turned darker and tightened its hold on her.

Scared, Caitlin screamed. _Help! Liz… Max… Help!_ Hearing her cries but unable to reach her within the deep sorrow and remorse that encased her, Max and Liz looked at each other in fear. Breaking the connection so they wouldn't get sucked in, Max released his hold on Caitlin's hand and watched as Liz did the same. Shaking her head, Liz looked around.

"We tried, we can't help. She's surrounded by misery, and it doesn't want to let her go. I just… I just don't understand what is going on." Liz said, upset that her friend was suffering such pain. Max squeezed her hand, understanding her distress. Max stood back up and walked over to James and Clay.

"There has to be some reason why this is happening." Max said, looking at James and Clay as if they could provide that answer. As the two men looked at each other, they shook their heads.

"I don't know. Her behavior is so odd. First she thinks James is going to leave her and blames me for it, then she gets angry because I left and blames him for it. I don't understand why she thought we were going to be attacked, or why she is attacking her shield. None of this makes sense." Clay felt like screaming he was so frustrated. He knew that Caitlin wouldn't last much longer. While she was still blasting her own shield, the attacks were coming less frequent now and were much weaker.

"Clay?" Looking up, Clay saw the question James was hesitant to ask. "Clay, your child… It's possible… I mean, it didn't get to say goodbye." James finished, unable to continue. Shaking his head, Clay stared at his best friend.

"No child of mine is capable of hurting that woman. And no child of hers is capable of inflicting such misery on someone." Refusing to believe any of it, Clay began pacing. "Our child was but a day old, it's just not possible. There has to be something else. Someone else responsible… Petrax. It has to be Petrax." Clay determined, looking at James and seeing the nod of his head.

"It's possible. He's twisted enough. And powerful enough." James said.

"Okay, so he might be responsible. But we have to do something to help her now. She won't last much longer." As everyone nodded their heads, Max looked around to find Isabel. Spotting her in the back, tears streaming down her face, he walked over and gently wiped the tears away. "Iz, can you lull her into sleep?" Max asked, his desperation evident. Shaking her head, Isabel looked at Caitlin.

"I don't know if she'll let me in Max. I have a feeling we had a strong bond once, at least, our past selves did. But now, we're friends but we're not as close as we were in that other life. And my powers aren't strong enough to persuade her to sleep if she's resisting me." Isabel explained, looking at her cousin in longing. "I wish it wasn't that way, but it is."

"I might be able to do it." Clay said, determined to save her. Walking over and sitting behind her, he prepared to catch her if it worked. Connecting with Caitlin, Clay gasped at the void that quickly overtook him. The sorrow and misery there was overwhelming. Immediately able to hear Caitlin's cries of despair and reaching out to her, the void began distancing him from her as soon as it sensed his presence. Realizing that his time was short, Clay launched all of his energy at Caitlin to seduce her into sleep. As quickly as he had found himself in Caitlin's nightmarish reality, he found himself back behind her, cradling her in his arms.

"It worked!" Maria yelled, greatly relieved the situation had been diffused. Unfortunately, Caitlin was still in danger. No one knew how to help her. Looking at her face as she gently snored, Clay smiled. _You'll be okay, love. You'll be okay._ With every breath she inhaled her strength increased and slowly, after several hours of rest, her color had come back completely and she looked as if she were enjoying her dreams.

"Momma, momma." Turning around, Caitlin gasped. Not two feet away was a small child. The boy was almost an exact duplicate of Clay. Seeing the smile on his face, Caitlin walked over and bent down onto one knee. Feeling extremely unsure of herself, Caitlin hesitated before speaking.

"Hello." As Caitlin spoke, the smile on the boy's face increased to the point where he was almost glowing. Smiling back, Caitlin sensed this child was familiar to her, but she didn't know how. "Who are you?" Perplexed by her question, the boy just stood there gazing up at her. After a few minutes he launched himself at her and gave her a big hug.

"Momma." As the boy spoke, Caitlin suddenly knew how this child was familiar to her and why he looked so much like Clay. Hugging him back, tears began sliding down Caitlin's face. After several minutes when neither wanted to end the embrace, the boy slowly backed away and looked at her. Gently cupping his hands around Caitlin's face, his deep blue green eyes looked into hers for what seemed like an eternity. As she stared back into his eyes, Caitlin received several flashes. Without expecting it, she saw the tiny life begin forming within her uterus. She _felt_ the pain that tiny life endured as it was extinguished. More images rushed past her. Isabel's tears hitting her face as her cousin held her, shock and misery written all over her face. She felt the weight of the world disappear as Isabel lifted her and carried her into the camp. She saw Max and Liz heal her and felt the love Clay poured into her, literally calling her back to him. Images of her all too brief of a time with Clay before she ran out to meet James passed before her. The relief James felt at holding her safely in his arms washed over her. Suddenly and without warning, misery and sorrow overwhelmed Caitlin.

Knocked back, Caitlin gazed at the boy's face. There she saw the truth, she saw the love he had for her and for Clay. He was not responsible for taking her to the place where she now found herself. Instead, he had come to show her the way out. Images continued to fly past her. Petrax's rage at knowing that she had carried Clay's child. His fury was painful. In his anger, he had killed her unborn child. That same spirit was now what visited her, trying to reassure her that they would be together one day, but not now. Caitlin understood what the boy was trying to tell her. Looking at him, she was filled with love and reached out to him with it. As she did so, he continued to focus on her and sent her more images. The images he sent her were frightening. Petrax was trying to manipulate her from afar. He sent her images that manipulated her emotions, and then he sent more images with the intent of manipulating her actions. He had been successful in both endeavors, which is why Caitlin now found herself in this void, looking into the soulful eyes of this child.

It soon became clear that Petrax was trying to drive her away from those she loved. In lieu of that, it was obvious he would settle for her death. Not his first choice, she had sent him over the edge. He demanded satisfaction. He would take it, either way. The feelings of loneliness the child sent her at that moment shocked her. At first, she thought they were originating from the child. But she was wrong, and soon figured out that the boy was relaying the feelings of Petrax. Shocked by the emptiness, Caitlin looked on in fear. Any man driven by such need would never give up. This was the message that she needed to understand. She could no longer run, and neither could her friends. It had to end. Looking into the eyes of her once child, Caitlin understood. Neither he nor any other child would ever come to be while Petrax was still alive.

Seeing the understanding in Caitlin's features, the boy suddenly released his hands from her face. Reaching out with his hand, he smiled when Caitlin took it. Staring at her child, Caitlin instinctively followed him as he led the way out of the void. Soon, Caitlin recognized the space that was her mind. Looking down to say thank you, she discovered the boy was gone. Disappointed, she was wishing he had stayed longer when she felt the energy filling her. Before leaving, he gave her one more gift, he passed his powers on to her. Leaving silent instructions of what was to go to whom. Surprised that it was possible, Caitlin stood for a moment and touched her tummy. Although a brief life, her first son had made his mark on her life and this world. The wonder of it would never cease to amaze her, and later, the others as well.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Chapter 9**              

Waking up slowly, still somewhat weak, the first sight that greeted Caitlin was Isabel's tear streaked face. The woman was smiling at her, overjoyed at seeing her cousin awake. Smiling back, Caitlin reached out a hand to her loyal cousin and friend. Shooing the hand aside, Isabel bent down and hugged her.

"I'm so glad you're awake! I was so worried. We were all so worried." Isabel whispered as fresh tears began running down her face. Pulling back from her cousin, Caitlin wiped away the tears and smiled into the beautiful young woman's face.

"I'm glad too. Isabel?" As Caitlin spoke, Isabel looked at her. "Thank you." Surprised, Isabel didn't know what Caitlin was thanking her for but felt sure she didn't deserve it. As she began shaking her head but before she could speak, Caitlin said, "No, listen Isabel. I'm serious. Thank you. If you hadn't been strong, I never would have made it back here. Thank you." Isabel wanted to bust out into tears again, but for some odd reason found herself smiling instead. Not quite understanding, she just hugged her cousin again. As she did so, Caitlin quickly formed a connection with her.

As soon as the connection was formed, Caitlin was rushed with images of Isabel staring in shock at Petrax as his hand burned through her soft tissues. The shame and mortification Isabel felt became Caitlin's in a matter of seconds. Aware of how easily she could get lost, Caitlin began sending Isabel images of the little boy who had guided her back to them. His gift to Isabel was clear, it was the gift of hope. Isabel saw the little boy and gasped audibly. Not expecting to see a mini version of Clay, Isabel found herself focusing on his smile. It was a huge smile; showing perfectly aligned white teeth. Transfixed on the boy's face, Isabel barely noticed the subtle change within her. Reluctantly, Caitlin ended the connection with her cousin. Although Caitlin knew how much Isabel needed to see that her unborn child was okay, she ended the connection when her task was complete, and she had passed on the strength and hope of an innocent to Isabel. As Isabel now looked into Caitlin's eyes, she smiled with a light that had been extinguished years past. Hugging her cousin, both smiled.

"Hey! What's going on here? Holding out on us, Isabel?" James half-roared, humor written all over his face. Abashed, Isabel quickly looked back to Caitlin and then to James.

"No, I… She just woke up." Isabel almost stuttered, her embarrassment evident. Glaring at James, Caitlin quickly spoke up.

"Really James! Pick on someone your own age." At that, James turned a bright red. He was sensitive about his age and Caitlin knew it. "Go back outside, I need to talk to Isabel for a moment." Summarily dismissed, James left the tent with a string of curses. She was _his_ sister after all. He was getting tired of being put on the back burner. A few minutes after he stomped out, a gentle smile came across Caitlin's face as she looked at her cousin. "Do you feel… any different?"

Surprised by the question, Isabel tilted her head and thought about it. _I don't know why, it doesn't make any sense after all, but I do feel different._ _I feel… happier, stronger._ Smiling, Isabel looked at Caitlin and nodded. "It's strange, but I do feel different. I feel much happier, much more hopeful. And this happiness, this hope, it seems to give me a strength I haven't felt in years." As Isabel explained how she felt, Caitlin nodded her head.

"Good, that is the gift my child has given you. He has given you his innocence and his hope. He saw a need, he saw your emptiness and has filled it." Caitlin said, causing Isabel to shake her head.

"I don't understand. What you're saying, it isn't possible." Isabel said, confused.

"Isabel, there is something you should know. We haven't told any of you guys. I don't know why, perhaps it is because we haven't had time with all that has gone on or perhaps it is because we just never thought to tell you all. You see, we are very strong together. James and I, with our abilities to amplify each other's powers, we are a dangerous team. Even Clay, he is as important to our group as either of the two of us. Our greatest strength, however, is also our greatest weakness. For generations, our people have had the ability to pass our gifts on to our loved ones. We have to do it before death claims us, but if we are able to we pass our knowledge and our powers on. This way our loved ones are stronger for the loss." Caitlin tried her best to explain, understanding how strange it would sound.

"So you can give your powers to other people?" Isabel asked.

"Yes, our powers or our knowledge or whatever other gifts we possess." Isabel nodded at Caitlin's answer.

"Caitlin," Isabel hesitated to ask, but knew she needed an answer. "What happens if you don't have time? You said it is your biggest strength and greatest weakness at the same time. How?" Isabel asked.

Sighing, Caitlin looked at Isabel head on and answered, "If we don't have time to pass our gifts on to our loved ones, our loved ones often suffer painful losses. Some are overtaken by misery and despair, losing themselves in their grief until they go mad. Others encounter death, dying when they would have otherwise lived if they had been given a certain power or knowledge. The significance of this ability is stressed to every member of our planet from birth. Claire often spoke of the consequences if we were to lose someone and they not have time to pass their gifts on."

"I see. I guess that's why James asked Clay if your child could be the reason why you were trapped in that place of misery and sorrow that Max and Liz described." Isabel said.

"Oh no, it wasn't our child. In fact, he was the one who came to me and led me out of the void. You see, he connected to me and I received all of these flashes. Petrax was the one who was responsible, not our child. I don't know how it was possible for him to visit me, or to pass his gifts on, but seeing him was so amazing." Caitlin said, getting misty-eyed. Smiling at the look of joy on her cousin's face, Isabel almost decided not to ask the last question she had. As Caitlin's eyes came back into focus, Isabel built up her courage.

"Caitlin, what about Sonya? It didn't sound like she had time to pass on her gifts." Isabel asked. Looking over sharply, Caitlin was surprised. Understanding her cousin's curiosity, she decided to share the knowledge that her child has given her about that whole incident.

"Evidently, Sonya was just beginning to discover a new power, the power of clairvoyance. She had a vision of her death three days before the night she was killed. Not much later that same day she had a vision of my death, as I tried to stop the assassin from killing her. Someone was to die that night, there was no way to stop it. She cared as strongly for me as I did for her, and made the decision that I should stay here and be the strength that both James and Clay needed. So a few nights before her death, she visited James and passed on certain gifts to him. The next night she visited me, and passed on certain gifts. On both of the nights, she did this without telling either James or myself. The night she died, she visited Clay. Him she told of her impending death, and gave him certain gifts. Knowing that her gift of dreamwalking would drive him away from us, she also knew that it was the one thing that would bring him back, when he was ready." As Caitlin finished, Isabel smiled sympathetically. She knew that Caitlin had spent the last three years wishing she had died in Sonya's place. Knowing the full story and the plan behind it, Isabel saw the obvious peace it brought to her cousin.

"It's so strange that you guys have powers. I mean, Nasado, the shapeshifter who watched over us for a while, he told Michael that the reason we had powers was because of our human side. That our human DNA is centuries ahead of the humans today, and that's why we have powers at all." Isabel said, marveling that the alien side could have powers too.

Nodding her head, Caitlin understood what Isabel meant. "Yes, that's partly true. The reason why they chose Earth is because of the similarity. Centuries from now, as mankind continues to evolve, they will discover tremendous gifts. Abilities that up to now is spoken of only in science fiction books and movies. But our alien DNA has combined extremely well with our human DNA. On the planets Antar and Vorak, the people there have wondrous gifts. Many of them are different from what we possess. I suppose they must have known that. This combination of DNA is extremely powerful. In many ways allowing us to combine gifts from our alien side with powers from the advanced human side. In this case, being a hybrid has its advantages." Caitlin explained, smiling at the wisdom Claire and the others exhibited in choosing this combination.

"That's amazing. Do you know more about Antar and Vorak? It sounds like you learned a lot from Claire." Isabel said, gently speaking Claire's name so as not to bring up any painful memories. Smiling, Caitlin tilted her head.

"All we learned from her I have shared. I know there was a lot more we could have learned from her, but she passed on before we could." Caitlin said. "Well Isabel, I'm glad you are feeling stronger. I have to go find James. It's rare for him to be so visibly upset, I need to find out what's going on with him." Understanding, Isabel gave Caitlin a quick hug and helped her up. As they walked out of the tent together, several voices exclaimed at once.

"Hey! You're up!"

"Caitlin! You look _so_ much better!"

"When did you wake up?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

Bombarded by questions and hugs from the greatly relieved group around her, Caitlin couldn't contain the smile on her face. After answering everyone's questions and sufficiently reassuring everyone, Caitlin asked where James had stomped off too. Glancing at the trail Maria pointed to, Caitlin smiled and said a quick goodbye one more time. Heading down the trail, Caitlin looked around and realized how beautiful everything was. The green trees seemed brighter than usual and she couldn't remember a day when the sky has been so blue. Walking through the forest, the calm carrying her son's gifts had given her began to wade. Starting to think maybe it was associated with just one gift in particular, the gift she passed on to Isabel, Caitlin wasn't paying attention to the branch right in front of her. As it smacked her hard in the face, a few gashes began bleeding. Resisting the urge to respond to the pain with a string of curses, Caitlin slowly stilled as she began hearing voices. Recognizing the melodic timber of one and the deep resonance of the other, a bright smile splayed across her face.

"I'm serious Clay. Getting Caitlin pregnant was… reckless! What were you thinking? That's my sister for crying out loud!" James almost stuttered in anger.

"Calm down James. I wasn't trying to get her pregnant. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is. I love her, and that child was conceived out of love." Clay said, trying not to get angry at his best friend's presumption. He understood well the feelings of the older brother, but at 25 it was way past time to be getting overprotective.

"You don't see what the big deal is? You don't see what the big deal is. Well, call me old fashioned, but I think you should be married before you start having kids." James said, trying his best to contain the emotions raging beneath the surface.

"Married?" Clay said, stunned at where James was going. _He doesn't actually think…?? Oh my gosh! He does!_ At that moment, Clay began laughing. With every look of shock and anger that flitted across James' face, the harder Clay's laughter became. Laughing so hard he was on the verge of tears, Clay finally sighed and wiped his cheeks. "James, my man, you ought to know me better than that. I've planned on marrying Caitlin almost my entire life. The day she woke up after Max and Liz healed her, we promised to spend the rest of our lives together. We are getting married. I don't know when, things aren't exactly safe right now, but we are getting married." Clay said, reassuring his best friend. Realizing what an ass he had been, James looked away in shame.

"I'm sorry man, I should've known better than to even go there." James said. Smiling, Clay walked over and gave James a quick and forceful hug.

"It's okay, if the situation had been reversed, I _so_ would have gone there with you and Sonya." Clay said, forcing James to look up. Seeing the truth in his admission, James nodded. An understanding reached, a peace existing, both men stood a second longer before quickly turning behind them at the weak cry. Caught once again by an obtrusive branch, the cry escaped Caitlin's lips before she could stop it. Her eavesdropping discovered, she stepped out and greeted her two favorite men.

"Hey guys!" Caitlin said, amused when both Clay and James went to give her a hug. After the two men released her, Caitlin looked up and smiled at both. "I'm glad you guys are talking again." Winking at James, Caitlin decided to ignore the crimson that began moving it's way up his cheeks.

"Well, you know, we depend on you to keep us together." Clay said, smiling innocently. Smiling back at him, Caitlin sighed.

"I know. I try." At that, James "Humph"ed before Caitlin and Clay began laughing lightly. Ignoring the two, James stepped forward and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"You okay, sis? What happened?" James asked, desperately needing to know if what he suspected was true or not. Understanding his need, Caitlin shared all that had happened.


	10. Chaopter 10

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Feedback**: Guys, I know the new characters can throw it off when you're so used to the original ones. Sorry, I just couldn't keep a lid on my imagination. They're a lot like the original ones though with a few minor differences in personality, background, powers, etc. Hopefully it's not too far fetched. Though, I do have an active imagination. Thank you for the feedback and reviews I've received up to now. I really do appreciate it. Please review if you get a chance too. Thanks again!

**Chapter 10**

Once filled in, Clay pulled Caitlin to the side and began asking her about their unborn child. Seeing his pain, Caitlin began describing the boy. His kindness, his openness, his strength and love; every word she said brought more tears to Clay's eyes. As she talked, Caitlin began crying herself at once again faced with what she lost, with what Petrax had taken from them. Choked, Caitlin could no longer manage any words for the beautiful child they would now never know. Looking up, Clay saw the pain and sorrow in Caitlin's countenance intensify. As she struggled to speak, Clay felt rage begin to build within his soul. Gently stroking his jaw with her hand, Caitlin tried to ease the rage she saw building.

Two hours later found James and Clay walking back into the camp angry and upset. Trailing behind, Caitlin did her best to get the two men to stop. Hearing her quiet and unsuccessful pleas, Max looked up and watched his cousin grab Clay's arm.

"Clay, stop. You're being foolish, you and James both. Guys, stop! This is ridiculous." Caitlin said, her voice going steely almost to spite the weakened state of her body. Normally she would have tossed both men on their butts for acting like such idiots, but she just didn't have the strength.

"What's going on?" Max asked after walking towards the three latest members to the group, effectively blocking James and Clay from walking any further. Looking at the stoic expression on Max's face, Clay winced. _Some things never change._

"We're trying to take care of some business. Do you mind?" Clay ground out through clenched teeth, the venom in his voice shocking everyone but James. James was well aware of the shadows Antar's King cast, in the previous lifetime and the current one.

"Clay, don't be a fool." Caitlin warned, using her greatest weapon at this time, her commanding nature. Never moving his eyes from Max, Clay refused to budge.

"I will settle this with Petrax, Caitlin. No one, not even Antar's King, will stop me." Clay said, forcing James to take another look at the man Clay had become. Strong willed and difficult Clay had always been, but the man standing before Max now radiated a power that shocked his long time friend.

"What do you plan on doing? Or do you even have a plan?" Max asked, greatly amused. He was long since used to the challenges of Clay's stubborn cousin, and decided to handle Clay's reticence the same way. Before Clay could respond to the obvious challenge, Michael stepped between the two and faced Clay.

"Back off Clay, you're behavior is not helping anyone. I understand how you feel, but rushing off after Petrax will only get you killed. Think about Caitlin, and James, and the rest of us. We've already lost a member of our group, we've been through that hell once already. Don't do this." Michael said, shocking his small group of friends. Maria smiled proudly, _he's finally learning._

"Michael, get out of my way." Looking at the older man before him, Michael gulped.

"No way. We had to leave everything and everyone we loved behind because of this alien crap. I may not know exactly how you feel, but I know what it is to lose everything. Every person here has had to give up the most precious things in their lives. All we have left is each other. You're not going through Max, regardless of what issues you're holding from a past life. You're not going through me, I'm the only blood family you have left. You're not going through anyone, Clay, so please, back off." Michael said, keeping his hand raised in case his instincts about his cousin were wrong.

"Clay please," Caitlin whispered, not strong enough to stop him if necessary but desperate to make him see reason. "I promise, Petrax will pay for what he's done, but now is not the time. Please Clay, these people have been through enough. I have been through enough. Please, back off." Caitlin said, her voice soft.

"Argh!" Screaming to keep his temper under control, Clay stepped backwards before glancing at the young cousin bravely gulping before him. Taking in a few deep breaths, Michael slowly lowered his hands. Smiling slightly, Michael just barely acknowledged exactly how much he had in common with his cousin. Seeing Caitlin move forward and place her hand on Clay's arm, Michael stepped to the side so that Max became visible to both Clay and Caitlin again.

"I promise Clay, Petrax will pay for what he's done." Max said, not flinching as Clay raised his hand.

"I believe you. A good King is one that his second-in-command would die for. But a great friend, that is one that his friends defend and protect. You are both, so I believe you. I'm sorry Max, Michael," Clay glanced briefly over to his cousin while shaking Max's hand, "I'm still working on controlling my temper." For some reason that Clay has yet to figure out, everyone in the group began laughing. Not sure what was so funny, Clay smiled and shook his head.

Greatly relieved, Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in the past hour. After relating everything to James and Clay about Petrax's involvement in her strange behavior and then faced with Clay and her own emotions over the loss of their child, Caitlin had tried to calm her overprotective brother and fiancé down. Strong and determined, both men knew how to push her buttons. Now that they appeared to regain their senses, it was time for her to finish what her son had asked her to do.

"Michael, can I see you for a second?" Not seeing Maria flinch as much as feeling it, Caitlin turned her sky blue eyes to the young blonde and smiled kindly. "And you too Maria? I need to talk to you guys about something." Surprised at being included, Maria turned her bright green eyes to Michael before nodding her head and saying "I guess so."

Understanding what Caitlin was up too, Clay and James tried to draw the attention of the others and were relieved when Isabel helped them. Catching Isabel's attention, James smiled a bashful thank you before everyone began getting ready for another hike to the clearing. They no longer felt it was safe at the campground.

"Guys, I have a gift for you from… well, let me explain." Caitlin said, watching with great amusement as Maria's eyes widened again and again as she related the tale of an evil tyrant, an incredible friend, and a beautiful little boy. Eyes glistening, Maria could no longer control the impulse and suddenly reached out and hugged Caitlin. She never felt much of a bond for this woman who had so recently entered their lives, but now she felt compelled to comfort her.

"I am _so_ sorry. When Alex died… I was devastated. He was my best friend, you know? I'm so sorry you lost Sonya. Those alien tyrants are such bastards." Maria said with such feeling that Michael could only nod before reaching out and hugging her. Feeling bad about bringing up all the feelings of hurt and loss she knew instinctively that Maria and the others had felt with Alex's death, Caitlin grimaced.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to bring up bad memories." Her guilt clearly written across her face, Caitlin smiled slightly as Michael grunted "Some things never disappear." Understanding completely, Caitlin desperately wanted to show these two what having such wonderful people in our lives can mean. "Maria, I would like to connect with you. May I?" Caitlin asked, never connecting with a human without permission.

"I…" Confused, Maria looked over to Michael for confirmation that it was safe and okay. "I guess so." After seeing Michael nod his head with trust and after seeing Maria wipe her eyes one last time, Caitlin opened a connection with the young blonde. Rushed with images, it soon became clear to Caitlin why Maria was to receive the ability to create a shield. All her life, Maria had wanted nothing but to be happy and to keep her friends safe. After Alex's death, she had been heartbroken. With Liz's arrest for armed robbery in Utah, her frantic nerves overloaded after being convinced that she was going to loose another best friend. And through all of that and more she stood by and watched Michael increase his powers to destroy. Although understanding why having an offensive weapon was so necessary to their survival, she still at heart wanted to protect her loved ones and keep them safe and out of danger. By giving her the ability to create and manipulate a shield, her son was now in a way granting her wish.

"Maria, I have a very special gift for you from my son. I see your pain, to stand back and watch those you love forced to fight without being able to help. I see your pain, and so did my son. He has given you his ability to create and manipulate a shield. All your life you've wanted nothing more than to keep your friends safe. Now you can, no matter what dangers you all face together, you will no longer be on the side lines." Caitlin said as she passed the gift on to Maria. Shocked, Maria gasped slightly as Caitlin began closing the connection. Pleasantly surprised, Maria smiled.

"Thank you." Choked, Maria said the words roughly. Now as both women smiled, Caitlin and Maria at once reached out and hugged each other. Looking at the woman he has loved for so long, Michael looked back at Caitlin and said "Thank you." He was barely able to get the words out he was so grateful. His greatest fear had been addressed, his biggest wish granted, his Maria would now be able to protect herself. She would now be able to fight by his side, where he wanted her, without getting hurt. All Michael could do was hug Maria to him, and slightly move his head up and down as the words Thank you fell from his lips.

Understanding, Caitlin smiled before exchanging a meaningful look with the young man. Moving off to join the others, Caitlin heard Maria question why she was leaving before passing along the gifts meant for Michael. Smiling as she heard Michael explain he had already received his gift, Caitlin once again thanked the stars for natural way of things. It seemed more and more clear to her that their was always purpose for things, even the most painful events in life.

"Hey sis, you still with us?" James asked, seeing the far off look in her eyes. Forced to refocus, Caitlin began taking in what everyone else had been doing. Walking over to where James was helping Liz pack up the kitchen supplies, Caitlin's curiosity got the best of her.

"Are we going somewhere?" Caitlin asked while accidentally brushing Liz's hand. Frozen, both women gasped.

****FLASH****

"That's it Maria, keep the shield up while James and Liz recharge. We can't attack until we're at our full strength." Caitlin said, pouring the last of her strength into her makeshift shield around Max and Kyle.

_Screams_ _Noise Screams Noise_

As James lowered his hand, he saw the sparks fly off of Liz. Nodding his head, James let Liz know he was ready to receive the energy buzzing throughout her veins. Setting her head in acknowledgement, Liz raised her hand and let the energy coursing through her rush James like an NFL linebacker. Screaming at the top of his lungs, James ignored the pain and focused internally to absorb as much energy as possible.

Lowering her hand, Liz and James looked at Maria and nodded. Taking in a deep breath, Maria lowered her shield and watched in wonder as James and Liz began assaulting their attackers with deadly energy. Mesmerized, Maria didn't see Kivar's grin as he expertly lifted a finger and knocked her down, forcing the last breath of life from her lungs.

Looking over, Caitlin watched in horror as her shield failed and soldiers mercilessly attacked Max and Kyle. Glancing at the immobile body beneath him, Max refused to move from his friend and lose him completely. He didn't realize that Michael had stopped breathing minutes earlier. In a final battle, Max raised his hand to force every ounce of energy he could muster on his enemies. With the flick of his wrist, Kivar brought it all crashing down around the former Kind of Antar as Max's arm moved against his will bringing a life's worth of energy and pain down upon the woman he loved, Liz Parker Evans.

****FLASH****


	11. Chapter 11

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Feedback**: Thank you for the feedback and reviews everyone. I really do appreciate it! I didn't mean to stop. I've just been real busy and have had a difficult time continuing the story. Please review. Thanks again!

**Chapter 11**

Shocked, Liz and Caitlin continued to stare at each other while breathing heavily. Unable to physically move, both women relived the previous events again and again. Not noticing the exchange, James continued explaining their plans to hike and set up camp at the clearing. Rattling off items on his mental checklist, James began moving around his sister to complete things. Starting to get annoyed, James looked up.

"You know, this would be easier if you weren't blocking my way." James said, irritated. Snapped out of her thoughts, Caitlin moved while maintaining eye contact with Liz. Reaching out, Caitlin grabbed Liz's arm and carefully moved off to the side with her.

"You saw it too?" Caitlin asked, half afraid of the answer. Nodding her head, Liz said yes.

"What… what are we gonna do? Everyone's gonna die. Maria, Michael, … what are we gonna do?" Liz whispered, desperate to protect her friends. Noticing Liz's refusal to even acknowledge a forced death at Max's hands, Caitlin leaned in and hugged her.

"Liz, listen to me, Liz? Look at me. Are you okay?" Caitlin asked, knowing that they could do nothing with Liz in shock. Refocusing, Liz looked at the concern in the eyes of the woman before her and knew that she needed to snap out of it. Nodding, the scared expression previously on Liz's face was replaced with one of determination.

"Yes, I'm fine. Caitlin, what are we gonna do?" Even as the young brunette asked, Caitlin began thinking.

"Did you recognize that place? It looked like the clearing to me." As Liz nodded in agreement, Caitlin began walking over to the group. Following her, Liz noticed everyone's position. Isabel was helping James pack up and Kyle was reluctantly following her. Off to the side, Max, Michael, and Clay were talking in low voices. Maria was at Michael's side, where she would remain until her last breath. Shuddering, Liz prayed silently that her last breath would take place years from now.

"Max! Guys! We need to talk." Caitlin said, with Liz now by her side. Looking over, everyone saw the looks on the faces of their two friends and stopped what they were doing. Walking over, everyone looked at Caitlin expectantly.

"Guys, I don't think we should go to the clearing. I don't think we should stay anywhere near here. It's time for us to leave." Surprised at hearing Liz's concerns, Max walked over and hugged her.

"Why? We'll be safer at the clearing than we will be here. And there's no other place to go. Not really. We can't afford someone seeing something or some innocent bystander getting hurt or killed." Max said.

"Caitlin, do you agree with Liz?" James asked, sensing something was troubling his sister and slightly surprised that she hadn't spoken up.

"Yes, I do. It would be pointless to explain why, but if we go to the clearing, if we don't leave here, people will die. Not innocent bystanders, not nameless faces, people here we know, good friends, family, will die. We need to go. We should have left this place a long time ago." As his sister spoke up, James began getting ansy. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to stand still. Looking over, he noticed Clay moving agitatedly also. _This is not good._

"We can go to the farmhouse. We can stay there, all of us. James, Caitlin, Clay, you guys can come with us. As long as we are all together, we'll be fine." Max said, looking over to Michael for his support. Finding it, Max was pleased to see it. In fact, Isabel and Kyle and the rest of the group were nodding their heads when a loud thunder rocked the group. Forced on their knees by the sudden noise, everyone looked up and watched in horror as soldier after soldier entered the camp and aimed various weapons at the young adults.

"What?!" Michael half screamed, drawing the attention of one of the soldiers to him. Realizing his mistake too late, Michael watched bug eyed as the soldier fired on him. Eyes wide in horror, Maria screamed savagely while putting up a shield without any thought. Encompassing Max, who now leaned over Michael's still form with Kyle hovering near him, Michael, Kyle, and herself in a shield. Looking at the events already underway, Caitlin and Liz turned sickly pale almost at the same moment as Kivar and Petrax stepped forward from their armed guards.

Looking around, James spotted Clay and immediately recognized his expression. _Something is wrong… he senses it too… someone is going to die today._ Without further delay James put up a shield around the remaining members of the group. Surprised, Caitlin looked at her brother and saw the determination there. Her worst fears were only being delayed, they were trapped with no place to go.

"It's time to finish this." Kivar hissed, looking disdainfully at Max. Recognizing the man Max attempted to shield, Kivar snickered. _He's already lost his second –in-command. How pathetic._ Tensing, Max sensed Kivar's intentions and raised his hand to protect himself if need be. Not liking their current predicament and tired of Kivar's silent gloating, Max stood up and resolved internally to finish this once and for all.

"Yes, it's time to finish this. Kivar, you're time is over." Max calmly stated, acting as if his success was not only the most natural thing in the world but in fact guaranteed, as if it had been written in the stars.

Looking over, both Liz and Caitlin were taken aback by Max's response. Smiling proudly, Liz saw the man Max was turning into and found herself unable to stop a smile. When images of the latest flash hit her and she once again saw Kivar effortlessly control Max's movements, her smile faltered. _He's not strong enough._ As the thought hit, Caitlin blanched. Both women knew the truth, if they didn't act fast there would be no King of Antar. There would be no King of Vorak either, for Petrax had already called James out.

"Finally Kilsnar, you will be dead and Kristlyn will be mine." Petrax stated coldly. His sky blue eyes turning a shade darker in anger, James accepted that this would finally end today.

"No Petrax, you have only come here to die." James said, preparing to fight.

Watching the men in their lives prepare to sacrifice themselves needlessly for those they loved and those living on planets hardly visible from Earth, a remarkable thing happened. A decision was made, unspoken, no signal given, no whisper allowed to float in gentle winds. Without vocal acknowledgement of any kind, Caitlin, Isabel, Liz and Maria stepped forth and took action. Forming a four square, the women prepared to do battle for the last time. Stoking their energies to a fever pitch, Caitlin at once released an enormous amount of energy into Liz Parker Evans. Forced to contain and stoke the fires rapidly building within, Liz stood several seconds before having no choice but to focus a large amount of the energy within her into Caitlin. Absorbing the energy, Caitlin screamed at the top of her lungs. Amazed at the sight before them, neither Kivar or Petrax could remove their eyes from the scene unfolding in front of them. As her screams died down, Caitlin put up a shield moving past the four square and protected the entire group. Aiding her was Maria, whose ability with the shield allowed Caitlin to manipulate it in ways that normally would have drained her quickly. Their defenses up, Isabel and Liz stepped forward. Raising their hands they looked at the men before them and recognized them for who they were. Aliens. Nothing more than aliens, freaks, aliens to them intending to harm those they loved. So they finished it, they released two consecutive energy blasts. Pulse like, the shockwaves of energy ripped through the shield and tore into both brutal conquerors and those serving them. 

The remains of both aliens lied with their armies. Dust. _Dust._ The small group of friends and family stood in shock. Clay, staring at the char streak on the ground, marveled that neither he nor James would be the one to finish off Petrax. Instead, it was Caitlin, along with the three strongest women he had ever met. Even Sonya would have marveled at their determination and strength, making his younger sister as proud as he. Max, engrossed with Michael's welfare, was able to do nothing more than stare. Kyle was the one who remained at Max's side, encouraging him to heal Michael as quickly as possible if only because he was afraid. _It can't really be over, can it?_ Snapping out of his comatose state, Max healed Michael and helped his friend up. As the two turned to plaster smiles are the women in their lives they loved the most, they realized for the first time the consequences of victory. No single life, no planet, was saved that day without the blood of those they cared for the most. A sacrifice had been made, and it was in that one moment of brief happiness that they discovered that price. In the split second that followed, their lives shattered. All four women, Caitlin, Isabel, Liz, and Maria, the ones who made them laugh and cry, were gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Feedback**: Thank you for the feedback and reviews everyone. I really do appreciate it! Please review. Thanks again!

**Chapter 12**

Staring at the ground, not one of the remaining group members could believe it. Over the coming days, their shock would not dissipate quickly. If there had been char marks, dust, or remains of _some_ kind then maybe, just maybe, they would have been able to accept it. Without so much as an out of place twig on the ground, the guys lived the following weeks in disbelief. They're lives quickly became foggy, as the days blurred from one into another. At first, Clay and Michael exploded, refusing to accept the inevitable. While Max and James, being the calm ones, just stared in wonder and spoke of the feelings they still had. The senses they still felt of the others. This lasted for weeks before Kyle lost his temper with everyone who was left.

"Face it! They're gone! They aren't coming back. They didn't disappear, they weren't taken without us knowing it, they didn't just vanish! They're gone! Dead! Stop dreaming! They're gone!" Kyle's cries faded into hesitant sobs. Staring in disbelief, Max felt the twinge of feeling in his gut he had waited for, almost prayed for. Anger. _Anger. At least it's an emotion. At least I'm able to feel something real that I can quantify, something I'm familiar with. It's been five weeks since the last time I've felt anything. They sacrificed _everything_… for us._

"Stop it! I won't let you rant. How dare you speak that way! They saved us! They saved a solar system we may never see. How dare you! I will never accept them being gone." Max said, hating himself for thinking _I'll never accept _her_ being gone._ Looking back and forth between his two friends, Michael knew instinctively it was time to move on.

"We should pay our respects before moving on. They deserve that much at the very least." Michael said, glancing at Clay for confirmation before standing up and walking to the tree at the center of campground. Agreeing, Clay walked forth and stood at Michael's side.

"We'll honor them here tonight." Clay said, standing still as James, Kyle, and then finally Max joined them at the tree.

That evening found the five men gathering personal objects of the women they loved so much. Max looked at his wedding band, rubbing the shiny gold. He would honor his wife's memory this night, all of which would be signified by the circle of love on his ring finger. Kyle took a different route, eyeing one of Isabel's favorite scarves. He knew Isabel's pain at being separated from her husband, a good man. A man he did not look forward to writing too about the events of last month. Kyle respected Jesse though, so he would honor Isabel's memory for him tonight with the others. 

As Max and Kyle prepared themselves, Michael looked on in unabashed shame. He didn't _want_ to say goodbye, he didn't _want_ to move on, he just _knew_ they had too. Even Max understood that much, but he hated himself for being the one to say it. And now that he had, now that everyone was getting ready to do just that, Michael found himself unable to. _I can't really say goodbye. Can I? _Throughout all of the make out sessions and fights, Michael had known that Maria would always be there, in his life, to offer whatever support he needed. And now, _she's gone._ Shaking his head in disbelief, Michael stared at the tree where everyone would be paying their respects. _I'll honor her tonight. And I will move on. But I will never say goodbye, not to _my_ Maria._ His decision made, Michael turned and walked to the large tent that the guys had been sleeping in still these many weeks. Hunching until he could see his backpack, Michael reached in and grabbed that ludicrously large pack. Bending over further, he zipped open a couple of pockets before reaching in and pulling out a small velvet bag. Holding the soft object in his hand, Michael released the pack in favor of using his other hand to open the velvet bag. Turning it over, a shiny silver necklace dropped out. Looking at the delicate necklace, Michael focused on the small emerald encased in an intricate silver pendant. The emerald reminded him of Maria's eyes, forcing him to take a few seconds to refocus on his task. Originally planning to give Maria the necklace the day of the final battle, he had never had the chance. Taking in a deep breath, Michael placed the necklace back in the velvet bag and walked over to join the others.

By this time, Clay and James were just now walking up to the tree. Squeezing his hand tightly, Clay did not notice the mixed hue of red and purple that his fist was slowly turning. As he walked up to the tree, he slowly loosened his squeeze to reach into a pocket and pull out a shiny, platinum ring. The ring was gorgeous, showcasing a large square ruby surrounded by an intricate design of silver and diamonds. An antique, Clay had received the ring as a gift for helping an elderly woman and her son a little over a year ago. Always intending to marry Caitlin one day, Clay had accepted the gift graciously and planned to present it to Caitlin on their wedding day. Now, holding the beautiful ring in his hand, it hurt him to know that it no longer represented their future. Instead, it encompassed all their heartache and dreams, along with all his love for her. Looking back at the tree, he instinctively knew that honoring their loved ones tonight was what they _had_ to do. It could be no other night, no other time of day even, something about this night made it special. 

Now standing in front of the tree, side by side with the others, Clay glanced over and noticed the sweater James was holding. A brilliant royal blue, Clay instantly recognized the sweater as one Caitlin had made for James at 16. He could still remember the slim teen walk up shyly and the neatly wrapped gift to her brother. Caitlin had worked on the sweater for three months. Her pride and joy, it was the one and only time she had learned to knit and successfully completed a project. Her 25 year old brother, now as proud of his sister as he had been at 16, stood in front of the tree unconsciously gliding his long fingers over the soft material. It had also been one of Sonya's favorite sweaters. To James the sweater held many memories, not only of his sister but also of the girl he had loved since the first time he saw her laugh. Sighing, Clay looked down momentarily. _Is it really meant to be this way?_ Feeling a sense of calm overtake him, Clay looked up and noticed everyone was ready to start. Everyone was focused in front of them, like they too had felt the time had come.

Stepping forth, Max took his wedding band and laid it in the crook between a large root and a smaller one. Looking down at the ring, Max concentrated on his wife. The innocent little girl, the courageous teenager, the beautiful woman, in that instant all of what Liz was and had ever been to him poured out.

"I love you Liz. I always have, and I always will. Tonight we aren't together, and we might not be tomorrow or the day after that, but one day, we will be. I promise, Liz Parker Evans, one day we will be together again." Max said, before falling down to one knee and sobbing. Taking in a deep, hesitant breath, Kyle stepped next to Max and squeezed his shoulder. Unwrapping the scarf from around his hand, Kyle then bent down and placed it at the foot of the tree. As he stood back up, Kyle grimaced.

"I don't know what to say Isabel. I haven't known what to say to you, not since I discovered how I really feel about you. But there are things, important things, you should know. You are brave, and you are strong. What you guys did when Kivar and Petrax attacked proves it. But I never needed that proof. I always knew, I could always see. You've been with Max and Michael through everything. Always the loyal and loving sister, and friend. That's how I knew you. That's how I remember you now. I will write Jesse, and let him know. I'll tell him about your sacrifice, and that of the others. So he'll know too, he'll know the loyal and loving wife you've always been. We love you Isabel, and we always will." Kyle said, finishing his last sentence quickly before stepping back. Unable to keep his control any longer, Kyle didn't bother wiping away the tear that slid down his right cheek.

Sensing a pull, Clay stepped forward abruptly. Taking out the ring, Clay placed it in the crook of two large branches. Looking at the gleaming silver and red, Clay sighed.

"It's never going to be easy Caitlin. What did we ever do in our past lives? It's never easy. But I don't care. Because I love you, I would go through it all ten times over if it means being with you. I'm incomplete without you. I remember growing up, how we used to watch romance movies and laugh at the corny lines. Inside, my chest feels like it's going to explode. That's how much I need you. You've done so much, you've always been so strong, so beautiful to me. You will always be the missing part of me." Clay said huskily, before stepping back.

Michael needed to vent, he needed to let go with what he was holding inside. So stepping forward as the others had, he bent down and placed the black velvet bag with necklace on a small branch. Once standing back up to his full height, Michael exhaled deeply.

"I always figured I'd be the one to leave. I never thought you or Liz or Isabel would leave us. You've changed since the first time we talked, really talked, after Liz told you about us. Maria, it's not right. You should be here, at my side, for always. I've never accepted you being gone. It's like a nightmare, and I keep hoping I will wake up front it. I'm not going too, am I? I want to though. I want you back with me so much it hurts. Wherever we go from here, whatever happens, please know I'll always love you." Michael whispered.

As Michael stepped back to be relatively parallel with the rest of the guys, James stood forward. Feeling the soft fabric of the sweater one last time, he leaned over and placed it on two large branches. Looking the tree head on, James stood a moment in utter silence. Getting concerned for their friend, the others glanced at him and noticed as his eyes became refocused.

"Thank you. All of you, Liz, Isabel, Maria, Caitlin, you four have given us our lives back. You have sacrificed yourselves for us. Thank you. We're selfish, each and everyone one of us, as we stand here to say goodbye. Because all we want is to turn around and see you, friends and lovers, standing there holding your arms out for us. We haven't been able to accept your loss, because we don't want to lose you. We'd rather die ourselves then have any one of you hurt, much less taken from us. Thank you. All we can say, is Thank you. It's not the end, but thanks to the new beginning you've graciously given us, we can move on. None of you would want us lingering here, refusing to face reality and letting our lives pass us by. So tonight, we pay you all the honor you deserve. We love you guys, _so much_, so this night is for you. In honor of your memories, your lives, your love, your _sacrifice_. Thank you." James said, unable to hide his pride in his younger sister, cousin, and friends. The sadness overcame James quickly, knocking him to the ground. The others soon followed, a feeling of overwhelming sadness and grief shocking them to their very cores.


	13. Chapter 13

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of it's characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Feedback**: Thank you for the feedback and reviews everyone. I really do appreciate it! Please review. Thanks again!

**Chapter 13**

In another lifetime, one before Max and the others, Liz never could have dreamed her life would fall apart so quickly. Staring at the women around her, her friends, her _family_, Liz sighed. They thought they could do it; it was so simple. Stand together, and destroy those who would harm the people they loved. They made the same mistake that the guys often made, they thought they could do it all themselves, and they were wrong.

                "What's up Liz? You okay?" Maria asked, looking at her friend in concern. Smiling, Liz nodded her head slowly to try and reassure her best friend.

                "Yeah, I was just thinking." Liz said, as Maria paused before nodding her head in understanding. She didn't need an explanation, Maria knew what was on Liz's mind. It was the same thing the rest of them were thinking. _We should have known we couldn't do it alone._ Grimacing, Maria looked around and decided to concentrate on their current predicament.

                "Do you guys have any idea where we are?" Maria asked, hoping for some ideas. Shaking their heads, Isabel and the others looked around once again. They were in a room without any furniture, or even carpet on the floor. The entire place was smooth and held a slightly silver hue. The women were sitting in a circle, almost protectively. They refused to be caught off guard again.

                "I don't understand what happened, or why we're here." Isabel said, noticing that the others looked as lost as she felt.

                "I thought we could do it by ourselves. I'm sorry guys. This is all my fault." Caitlin said before slouching down.

                "No, it's not your fault Caitlin. No need for a Max complex, we all made the same choice." Liz said, smiling as Maria remarked on her choice of words. _Well, it's true. No one does guilt like Max, and that's difficult enough to handle without anyone competing for the honors._

                "You're right, of course. The question is, what do we do now?" Caitlin said.

                "I wish we knew where we were." Maria complained while looking for a door. The four of them had only recently become conscious again from whatever brought them here.

                While looking towards the door, the four women straightened up as they noticed the door crack open. Standing up, they looked on in shock as four men swung the door open and walked in. The leader, a man about Isabel's height with fair skin and light hair, led the group. He was the first one to speak.

                "You have been brought here to face charges of crimes committed against the planets Antar, along with crimes against Vorak and the rest of the V system. We have taken human shapes to make you more comfortable, but do not deceive yourselves into believing that you are among friends. I assure you, you are not. Each and every one of you shall be held accountable for your crimes." Now looking quite stern, the group leader looked quite pleased to see the shock on the faces of those in front of him.

                "What crimes are we being charged with?" Caitlin asked, not at all pleased with the turn of events. She knew little of the justice system on Antar, and what little Claire had told her did not bode well for them.

                "You will have the complete list presented to you within the hour. They are still working on putting it all together." Looking at the deadly serious man, Maria stared wide-eyed as Caitlin and Isabel flinched. A long list was not a good sign. They were in trouble and being tried for crimes against a planetary system was a new kind for them, leaving them all speechless.

                One by one the girls took turns reading aloud from the list of alleged crimes once it was presented to Caitlin. Each one struggled to remain silent, the list going back as far as Caitlin's first encounter with the assassins sent after her and James, Clay, and Sonya. It was made clear to them upon delivery that the last and final item was what had brought them to this point. The flat out "murder" of the current rulers of Antar and Vorak was not acceptable, and the attempt would not go without punishment. Sinking to the floor, Isabel looked up despondently.

                "We failed. Now it will never be over." Isabel said in a quiet voice. Looking at her cousin sympathetically, Caitlin reached out to squeeze Isabel's hand. Noticing the attempt to comfort her friend, Liz smiled. _If only we could reach the others. Maybe they could help._ Lifting her head, Liz began thinking _Why not?_

                "Maybe we can reach the guys. You know they have to be looking for us." Liz blurted, causing the others to look at her.

                "Do you really think so?" Maria asked, longing to be with Michael again. As each woman allowed their thoughts to linger on their loved ones, the door opened once again.

                "The courts are ready. Follow me quickly and keep silent." The same man from before said commandingly. Everyone fell silent at the words. This was a dangerous situation, and if they weren't careful, no one would make it out alive. The four women stood and glanced at each other quickly before doing as the man said. Following the irritatingly calm being, the girls noticed plain walls in the long and short hallways they took to the judgment room. All to quickly they found themselves in front of a group of plain looking creatures, still human in form but looking quite bored with the current state of affairs.

                "Bring the criminals forward." One man said, obviously the one leading the trial. Forced to step up each girl looked straight ahead, revealing their vulnerability and the youth of their ages. From that point on, the trial dragged on. Each day they were brought forth to stand trial, on some days each of them were guilty of the acts they were accused of and on other days, some weren't even present to commit the crimes. As the days passed by, the girls became more drained from the rigorous hours they were forced to keep, getting only four to five hours of sleep each night and spending the rest of the day standing up and listening to the charges against them. Any hope of contacting the others soon vanished, it became obvious quickly to them all that their only hope was to cling to each other.

                "I don't know how much more of this I can." Maria said, too exhausted to add any emotion to the statement. Looking over to her best friend of so many years, Liz crawled over and wrapped her arms around the beautiful blonde woman.

                "It's okay Maria. You don't have to be strong here. No one's looking, it's just us. It's okay to be scared, I'm scared too but we're here together. I know we'll be okay." Liz said, not noticing the odd way Caitlin looked at her in that moment. _Best friends to the end._ Isabel saw Caitlin's expression and understood her feelings, her loss, she was the only one here who didn't feel a close bond to the others. Instead, Caitlin felt her role lay more in the protector than in the supportive friend within the group. The only one she ever really opened up too was Clay or her brother James, even in the short time they connected Isabel hadn't been allowed to really see into Caitlin. Saddened by her friend's loss, Isabel reached out and placed hand on her arm. Squeezing it, Isabel smiled. Thankful, Caitlin smiled in return.

                Not much later each of them fell asleep, finding comfort in the arms of their lovers. Each woman relished this time as it always brought them to a place where they could see and be with their loved ones, their family. This night, however, would be the last night they would be able to enjoy it.

                "We have now gone through only a quarter of the crimes listed, you have committed so many. A judgment has been reached for all of those crimes. Step forward to receive punishment." The head of the court said before looking accusingly at Maria.

                "Maria, you have been found guilty. For your role in aiding the Royal Four, you shall no longer be granted the privilege of being able to create and manipulate a shield. All communication your limited human body is capable of with any of the Royal Four is now severed." Maria stood in shock, as all at once the warm feeling deep inside that fed her strength when she needed it vanished. Forlorn, Maria slumped causing Liz to reach out to her. Before she could Liz was grabbed by a guard and forced instead to stand in Maria's place, the place of judgment, as her best friend moved back to stand next to the others.

                "Liz, you have been found guilty. As the rebel King's bonded mate, you have helped him again and again to save and benefit the Royal Four. Your crimes are much more serious, and you shall face heavy penalties for them. From this moment on, all abilities granted you by the choice and love of the rebel King have been stricken. Your connection with him, with your soul mate, is severed." Feeling the complete loss of self, Liz fell to the ground. Both Isabel and Caitlin were restrained so that no one helped her. Consumed by the void, Liz continued to lie on the floor until guards were ordered to remove her from the spot of judgment. In her place was now Isabel, looking defiant.

                "Volandra, your crimes span lifetimes. You have been found guilty of them all. It's interesting that you should choose to remain loyal to your family in this lifetime when you chose to betray them in the past one. Nevertheless, you have been found guilty and must be punished. You're dreamwalking abilities have already been severed since you could not be allowed to communicate with your brother, the rebel King. The rest of your abilities are now severed, but only temporarily. You must be present to be judged for the rest of your crimes, and your ultimate fate shall be determined in due time." Shocked, Isabel stared open mouthed. _Is he serious?_ Losing her powers was nothing compared to the loss suffered by Maria and Liz, and yet she knew it wasn't over. As he had said, she would be punished. Looking down guiltily, Isabel stepped back. As Caitlin stepped forth, her head held high and eyes defiantly glaring at the being before her, a slight change in expression in his face gave Isabel the sense that he was almost smiling.

                "Kristlyn, your crimes span lifetimes and many are so unspeakable that they are not listed, for this court is well aware of your family's betrayal of the Royal Four of the Planet Antar. However, you will be punished, enough for your crimes in this lifetime and those committed in the past. Your very presence is an abomination that should never have been allowed; the traitorous shapeshifter Clinyce defied our rules by bringing you back. Her crimes will weigh heavily on your shoulders, for as the former Princess of Vorak you shall bear that weight alone." Trying to contain her rage, Caitlin stood rooted to the spot of judgment. Isabel stared wide-eyed, wondering when her friend would ever find peace.

                With a silent nod to the guards, Caitlin was quickly restrained. Held fast to the place of judgment, Caitlin stared with pure hatred at the being smirking before her. A large, crystal clear device suddenly appeared around Caitlin, causing the guards to release her and step back. Encased in the see through device, her accuser's voice became heavy and slightly distorted.

                "For the crimes laid against you up to this point, Kristlyn, rebel Princess of Vorak and traitor to the V system, you have been found guilty. All your abilities granted to you by your mixed heritage, are now severed. The bond you share with your mate is now stricken from you, and you are ordered to face traditional punishment for your crimes." Wide-eyed, Caitlin stared at the distorted image of the being just out of her reach. _Traditional punishment?_ Caitlin did not have long to think on what that meant when she became filled with a loss so deep and essential to her being that she almost fell to the ground. The complete and utter loss of Sonya, James, and Clay hit her at once. Amazed that she was still standing, Caitlin could only stare at the figure before her as the traditional punishment began. Screams left Caitlin's mouth involuntarily as she felt pain ripple throughout her body without anything or anyone to anchor her. Her loss was total, her strength laid in her connection with her brother and lover, and without them she was lost. So she didn't bother to fight the pain that filled her, she just stood there and let it flow through her to mingle with the pain she'd endured during the years after Sonya's death.

                "STOP!!!" Isabel screamed, unable to watch her cousin suffer anymore. The attention of the full court shifted from the older hybrid to the younger one.

                "I see you've softened, Volandra. In your past life, you would have increased the level of punishment because you enjoyed to see the criminal in pain so much." Affecting Isabel the same as a blow to the face, all the young woman could do was stare in hatred. As the minutes went by, the guards prepared to take the women back to their room. The fact that they had to carry two of them didn't seem to phase them at all.

                That night the girls barely slept, each one suffering in their own right. Isabel looked at each one of her friends, taking turns comforting them throughout the night. The next day the trial continued. The following days found the girls getting slimmer; they were barely sleeping and hardly ever ate. They faced three more judgments, each time being found guilty and facing punishment. They learned quickly that the first punishment was merciful compared to what they faced after that. Without the strength the knowledge of how much they were loved gave them, they suffered ten times as much with each new ruling. They never lost hope until the final judgment though, having until now refusing to give in to fate.

                "You four have been found guilty, once again, for the crimes you have committed against Antar, Vorak, and the V system. Above all of this, you have been found guilty of attempting to murder Kivar, King of Antar, and Petrax, King of Vorak. Before punishment commences, you are allowed one request." The head of the court said, obviously wishing he could forego this one custom. Standing to her full height, Caitlin stepped forward and bravely spoke.

                "Let us say good bye." As Caitlin said the words, the others nodded in agreement. They knew it could be no other way. They had no way to contact the others, and even if they could they didn't know where they were and could barely stand on their own at this point. As the trials had progressed, each of them had suffered the same physical torment that Caitlin had endured at the first judgment. Saying goodbye was the only way they could ensure that the rest of their family, the men they loved, would continue on.

                After seriously considering the request, the head of the court finally reached a decision. He nodded his head and uttered "Very well" before motioning to a guard. Each woman stepped forward and at once could sense feelings ebb into their very cores. Smiling, each woman knew what it was to _feel_ again, bringing them the knowledge that this was the right thing to do. They couldn't risk the ones they loved, if anything the feelings consuming them now confirmed that. They would have to accept whatever came next, but there was still hope for their loved ones to move forward.

                Reaching out and holding hands, the four women concentrated on opening a connection. As the connection opened, they realized how weak they were by themselves, and how much stronger they all were together. Once the connection was fully established, they reached out to James, Max, Michael, Clay, and Kyle. Sending out a sense of calm and acceptance, each woman focused on those closest to them. They needed them to understand it was time for them to move on, to accept all that had happened and to continue with their lives. This court had granted them something in the face of their torment that they would be eternally grateful for, the opportunity to say goodbye and push the others into leaving before it was too late.

_At the campground…_

"We'll honor them here tonight." Clay said, standing still as James, Kyle, and then finally Max joined them at the tree.

That evening found the five men gathering personal objects of the women they loved so much. Sighing, Clay looked down momentarily. _Is it really meant to be this way?_ Feeling a sense of calm overtake him, Clay looked up and noticed everyone was ready to start. Everyone was focused in front of them, like they too had felt the time had come.

Stepping forth, Max took his wedding band and laid it in the crook between a large root and a smaller one. Looking down at the ring, Max concentrated on his wife. Taking in a deep, hesitant breath, Kyle stepped next to Max and squeezed his shoulder. Unwrapping the scarf from around his hand, Kyle then bent down and placed it at the foot of the tree. As he stood back up, Kyle grimaced. Unable to keep his control any longer, Kyle didn't bother wiping away the tear that slid down his right cheek.

Sensing a pull, Clay stepped forward abruptly. Taking out the ring, Clay placed it in the crook of two large branches. Looking at the gleaming silver and red, Clay sighed. Michael needed to vent, he needed to let go with what he was holding inside. So stepping forward as the others had, he bent down and placed the black velvet bag with necklace on a small branch. Once standing back up to his full height, Michael exhaled deeply. As Michael stepped back to be relatively parallel with the rest of the guys, James stepped forward. Feeling the soft fabric of the sweater one last time, he leaned over and placed it on two large branches. Looking the tree head on, James stood a moment in utter silence. Getting concerned for their friend, the others glanced at him and noticed as his eyes became refocused.

"Thank you. All of you, Liz, Isabel, Maria, Caitlin, you four have given us our lives back. You have sacrificed yourselves for us. Thank you. We're selfish, each and everyone one of us, as we stand here to say goodbye. Because all we want is to turn around and see you, friends and lovers, standing there holding your arms out for us. We haven't been able to accept your loss, because we don't want to lose you. We'd rather die ourselves then have any one of you hurt, much less taken from us. Thank you. All we can say, is Thank you. It's not the end, but thanks to the new beginning you've graciously given us, we can move on. None of you would want us lingering here, refusing to face reality and letting our lives pass us by. So tonight, we pay you all the honor you deserve. We love you guys, _so much_, so this night is for you. In honor of your memories, your lives, your love, your _sacrifice_. Thank you." James said, unable to hide his pride in his younger sister, cousin, and friends. The sadness overcame James quickly, knocking him to the ground. The others soon followed, a feeling of overwhelming sadness and grief shocking them to their very cores.

_In front of the court…_

                Deep concentration, whispers reached each woman as they felt the others honor them. They all heard James speak, though, as if his message was too powerful to be restrained as a whisper. Choked up, Isabel, Maria, Liz, and Caitlin found it impossible to stop the tears that were now coming in full force. None of them wanted to let go, not when they had so much to hang onto. _But that's why we have to let go, isn't it? _Isabel asked, shocked when Caitlin and Liz both answered. _Yes, it is._ Liz said, followed by Caitlin's _Get ready, they're going to end this connection quickly. Focus._ Not a slit second later the connection ended, leaving each woman on the floor with the impact. Through the loss that filled them, each one secretly smiled. They had succeeded in saying goodbye, and keeping the others safe. Now, it was time to face the final judgment.

_In front of the campground…_

                The sadness overcame James quickly, knocking him to the ground. The others soon followed, a feeling of overwhelming sadness and grief shocking them to their very cores. Within seconds the feeling was gone, replaced by a sense of overwhelming love. Yes, it was time for them to move on, and move on they would. They spent the rest of that night together, calmly making plans to head for Baker's Farmhouse. Once plans were made they settled in for the night, sleeping more peacefully then they had since the Kivar and Petrax had attacked so many weeks ago.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of its characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Feedback**: Sorry to take so long to get this up guys. Please R&R! Thanks!

**Chapter 14**

_The final judgment…_

                As the guards moved to pick the women up and hold them in place for judgment, all at once each woman shrugged the soldiers off and defiantly stood up slowly. Staring at the court in front of them, the four looked on silently.

                "Rebel Princess of Antar, loyal sister in this lifetime to the rebel King, you have been found guilty of two lifetimes' worth of crimes." As the head of the court spoke, a previously silent and unnoticed figure stepped forward, causing the women to gasp. "Punishment must be given, and yet Antar needs an heir. You will pay for your crimes, you _must_ pay for your betrayals and deception. So you will suffer, but you will be allowed to live this lifetime until the end of it. You _will_ live, and you _will wed, it is the final decision of this court that you wed Kivar and bare the heir to Antar."_

                Wearing a thin smile, Kivar nodded slightly in satisfaction at the judgment of the court. He had previously laid out his case before the ruling body, having been very careful decades before to not eliminate the one system that every member of the V System abided by. Instead, he had chosen to carefully deceive and manipulate it. His success, however, had never before been so apparent as it was this day. Open mouthed, Isabel stared in horror at the loathsome creature before her. He had tricked her into loving him in a past lifetime, and now as he smiled with satisfaction at her, she felt despair so deep that her knees buckled. Looking at her young cousin, Caitlin became concerned. Isabel was visibly paler than just a few minutes earlier and it looked as if she might fall at any moment. Tempted to reach out and support the young woman, Caitlin restrained the motion. _She's strong, she'll be fine. Remembering the strength that appeared in Isabel the moment Caitlin had passed her once child's hope and innocence to her, she knew Isabel would survive. Glancing over her features, Caitlin recognized the determination to not appear weak or give in to their captors. Caitlin refused to betray Isabel by reaching out to her._

                "Former Princess of Vorak, betrayer of the Royal Four and two planets in the V System, you have been found guilty of all crimes committed in this lifetime and the one in the past. An abomination in the eyes of this court and the planets it serves, you will pay the ultimate price for your betrayals. You will be transferred to Feriz facility, where you will mate with Petrax and produce an heir to the throne of Vorak." The head of the court stared with empty eyes at the hybrid before him. Emotionally unmoved, the being continued as if his previous words entailed an act of mercy. "Your crimes are intolerable, you're lack of respect for life in whatever form is obvious. The birth of your child, the future heir to Vorak, will make amends for the lives you have mercilessly cut short. The child shall live a joyous life, serving the people of Vorak as their rightful ruler. You shall live your remaining days with that knowledge at least. Once your child is born and is no longer nursing, you shall be executed."

                Gasping, Isabel, Liz and Maria stared at the court. Looking over at Caitlin, all three women opened their mouths in shock at what they saw. Caitlin's brunette hair reflected the lights surrounding the woman, making the accumulated oils from the lack of showers more than apparent. The withdrawn facial features and the sunken crevices around the eyes showed the shameful lack of food the prisoners had been provided. The now scraggly and torn clothes practically dripped off of Caitlin, showing the effects of not only the lack of food but also the physical torture delivered at each judgment. None of these things, however, was responsible for the thoughts now running through their heads. Instead, it was the complete and utter emptiness in Caitlin's blue eyes. She looked almost soulless, something they never would have thought possible.

                Stepping next to Kivar, Petrax smiled. He knew it had been wise of them to use skins on that last attack. The royals altogether were extremely dangerous, and his foresight had saved Kivar and himself. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Kivar, which led him to speak on Petrax's behalf to the court. They had granted him his wish, an heir. Kristlyn would be forced to bare his child. Smiling again to himself, Petrax mentally noted the expression on the woman's face. He would enjoy this, while she lived, and she lived only long enough to bare his child, he would make her suffer. Then he would stand by and watch her die.

                "Liz Parker Evans, wife to the rebel King, you are guilty of aiding the Royal Four and in refusing to prevent the death of the rightful Queen. Your crimes are serious, and you owe this planet that is not yours a great debt. You will be sent to a work facility in one of Antar's remote islands, where you will work your debt off until you have nothing left to give." Staring down at Liz's taunt features, the expressionless being noticed the head held high in the air. The petite human looked undaunted by her sentence, making him question the strength of the puny figure before him. Shrugging off his wandering thoughts, the head of the court moved his attention to the taller blonde with ocean green eyes and large, pouty lips.

                "Maria DeLuca, you are guilty of loyalty to the wrong people, people who have you call them friends. For loyalty and love to the rebel Antarian commander, you will serve in a work camp alongside the rebel King's wife. This sentence you will serve for the rest of your days. You have chosen to stand by these people, now you will face the consequences." _Silence_. No one spoke, no one could. The final judgment had been reached, the sentences given. And through it all the smiling faces of Kivar and Petrax looked on.

                Immobile, each woman stood waiting for the sentences to be carried out. One by one the women were taken away, first Isabel, then Caitlin, then Liz, and then finally, Maria. Each convinced they would never see the others again, the four young women stared blankly as they shifted positions and were taken away.

_In Isabel's Cell…_

                Hearing the door open, Isabel looked up to see Kivar walk in. Seeing the satisfied smirk, Isabel sneered.

                "What do you want? It can't be a wife, I'm already married." Isabel hissed. Grinning, Kivar continued to stare. Roaming his eyes up and down his soon to be bride, the shapeshifter uttered few words before turning around and walking out. Few though they were, those words echoed in Isabel's ears, _You're friends will never make it to the work camp alive._

                Sliding to the ground from where she stood against a wall, Isabel stared at the door Kivar walked out of. The only thoughts remaining those of his final words, sending her the chilling knowledge that before long she would be completely alone in this struggle. This struggle against evil, for that was what the barbaric Kivar and monstrous Petrax were. Pure evil. Frozen, Isabel continued to stare at the wall listlessly.

_On the way to the transport…_

                Maria and Liz held each other by the arm, holding on tightly. Looking back every once in a while, both women noticed the blank hallways and the even blanker guards, whose expressions held no emotion. Their sole purpose was to guard prisoners and prevent their escape; they offered the defenseless humans no comfort in the remaining minutes before they were transported far from their home planet.

                "Liz?" Maria whispered, unable to continue. Squeezing her best friend closer to her, Liz turned her head and uttered "I know" before falling silent once again. As the two followed the guards, an unnoticed figure moved up behind the last two guards blocking the women. With a quick and deadly motion, the cloaked figure took out the two guards. Looking behind her, Liz stifled a scream as the figure moved past her and eliminated the other two guards in the same fashion.

                "What the…?" Shocked, Maria stared on as the mysterious being removed the cloak and showed it's true alien form. Standing motionless for a second, the being stared at the two dumbfounded women before realizing what the problem was. Changing into a blonde human about the same age as the other two, the young woman stepped forward.

                "Please, do not be afraid. I am Selena, a loyal servant to the Royal Four. My parents once served Zan and the Royal Four as bodyguards. As their daughter, I have taken their place." Selena whispered, slightly disconcerted. 

"Whatever chica! Let's get out of here." Maria exclaimed while looking down the hallways in front of them and behind them. Nodding her head in agreement, Selena understood the urgency very well.

"Follow me. We must hurry, you have to get to safety before someone discovers the guards." Selena said, and then led the way to a corridor leading to a small ship. "Stay in here, you will be safe. I must go back for Princess Volandra."

"Thank you for your help." Liz said, more grateful than she could put into words.

"Will you be able to get Isabel and Caitlin in time?" Maria asked, seeing a strange look on Selena's face. Mistaking the shapeshifter's look for one of confusion, Maria tried using their alien names and asked again. "I mean, do you think you will be able to get Volandra and Kristlyn in time?" Looking at the pretty blonde girl, Selena considered her words carefully.

"I'll try. Please stay here and stay quiet. There is not much time." With that, Selena left the two women alone hoping to see both of their friends again.

_In Isabel's Cell…_

                Staring straight ahead, Isabel watched as the door silently slid open.

                "Princess Volandra, your highness, you must come with me." A slender blonde whispered. 

                "Who… who are you?" Isabel asked, weary of the unexpected visitor.

                "We do not have time, your highness. You must come with me. I will take you to the others, but we must hurry before anyone is discovered missing." Selena did not try to hide the urgency or fear in her voice. Both were very real to her, if she was discovered helping the criminals she would be put to death herself. Deciding the stranger's intentions couldn't be worse than Kivar's, Isabel stood up quickly and followed her out. Moving down the hallways, Isabel kept constant look out as Selena moved down various halls. Coming to a stop, Isabel looked up questioningly when she noticed the blonde open a door. Moving through it, Isabel heard a squelched scream and looked up in time to see Maria and Liz move to hug her.

                "I thought I'd never see you guys again." Isabel said, hugging her friends close to her. Smiling at the reunion, Selena gently tapped Isabel's shoulders to get everyone's attention.

                "You must leave, you must leave now. They are surely looking for you by now, you cannot be caught." Selena said in a low voice, knowing that the absence of Kristlyn would bring great displeasure.

                "Leave? We can't leave without Caitlin. Where is she? You were suppose to bring her with you." Maria said, knowing better than to leave anyone behind. Turning around, Isabel saw the strained look on the blonde's face and began slitting her eyes suspiciously.

                "Where is she?" Isabel said, unable to hide her obvious distrust.

                "She has already been moved. I don't know where. Please, you must go. Before it is too late and they find you." Selena said.

                "Wait, you knew that already. Didn't you? Before you came for us, or went to get Isabel, you knew they'd already taken her." Maria said in a harsh voice. Looking at the alien who called herself Selena, Liz began to think Maria was right.

                "Yes, I knew. I'm sorry, but there was nothing I could do. She is being transported to the Feriz facility. Petrax took her there himself." Selena whispered, obviously displeased she had failed in saving the royal from certain torture and death.

                "We have to go after her." Isabel stated, knowing she could never go home and face James or Clay without her.

                "You can't. You must join the others. They are practically helpless without you. I will take you back to them. You must trust that Kristlyn can take care of herself and is where she belongs." Selena said before the room filled with a blinding light. As each woman lost consciousness, Selena whispered "Please, forgive me." before transporting everyone to a rural area not far from a set of large, winding mountains on the planet Earth.

_Baker's Farm…_

                "I'm going to chop more wood." Kyle said while grabbing his jacket. Glancing over, Max studied the solemn man as he prepared for the cool winds outside. Walking up behind Max, Michael leaned in.

                "He seems to be dealing with things okay." Michael said with just a hint of sarcasm.

"He's dealing the best he can Michael." Max said while shrugging his head. "Just like the rest of us." Max started getting up slowly and looked at Michael head on before turning suddenly. Kyle busted through the door, startling the others.

"They're… they're… back." Kyle whispered before fainting. Staring at their friend, Max stood in place as Michael, Clay, and James ran out the door. A few seconds later Max began humming, every fiber in his being reacting to Liz's nearing presence as if electrified. Turning towards the door, Max paused a moment before running out after his friends.

"Liz!" Max yelled, embracing the beautiful brunette in a breath-stealing hug. Winded, Liz pulled away from Max just far enough to seek out his lips in a passionate kiss. As the two clung to each other, Michael continued hugging Maria as Isabel and Kyle hugged each other. Staring on in wonder, James and Clay could hardly believe their eyes. Seeing their three friends reunite with those who loved them most was incredibly bittersweet; both unable to ignore Caitlin's obvious absence.

After several minutes of hugs, kisses, and once-overs, everyone finally regained their senses enough to look at James and Clay head on. The mixed emotions conveyed on both their faces touched the women as nothing else had. Stepping up, Isabel's kind and sad eyes looked over both her newest friends.

"I'm sorry. They took Caitlin before Selena could get to her." Isabel said, reaching out and hugging James before doing the same for Clay.

"Selena?" Max asked, wondering who the stranger was. Tugging on Max's short-sleeved shirt, Liz grabbed his attention.

"Yeah, Selena, a new alley, of sorts. Her parents were the Royal Four's bodyguards. Evidently she has followed in their footsteps." Liz said, her large brown eyes begging Max to trust the stranger as she instinctively did. Turning around swiftly, Clay stalked off ignoring the heartfelt cries of his friends. Staring after the tall "brother" who hadn't stopped brooding since they left the campgrounds, James blinked his eyes and wondered when things would ever fully get better.

Heading to his regular hideaway as if on queue, Clay allowed his memories of Caitlin to flood him. Sitting down forcibly, he closed his eyes as the visions overtook him. Caitlin at thirteen, shy and nose deep into her schoolbooks. Caitlin at fifteen, convinced she'd never live past the age of sixteen. Caitlin at twenty-one, barely able to accept the death of her best friend. Image after image flooded Clay, bringing tears to his tightly shut eyes.

"Hey," Isabel whispered, reaching out and placing a thin hand on Clay's shoulder. Looking up, Clay saw the young woman before quickly turning his head to the side and wiping away the tears. "I'm sorry Clay. We never would have left without her, but Selena took things into her own hands. She must have sent us here herself." Isabel said, her voice heavy with grief. "I'm so sorry Clay." Turning, Clay forced himself to look at Isabel and for the first time noticed how she looked. The dark circles under her eyes, the bones sticking sharply through the thin layer of skin, the heavy bruising splotching Isabel's milky skin in several spots.

"My g… What did they do to you?" Clay asked, shocked at the obvious abuse his friends were forced to endure. Lowering her head, Isabel prayed the images that flooded her sight would go away.

"A lot." At that, Isabel stood up and began walking away. Before leaving completely to return to the others, Isabel stopped and turned around. "I'm really sorry Clay. Caitlin was strong. Always remember that."

"You talk like she's dead." Clay whispered. Tears began sliding down Isabel's cheek as she turned and walked off, leaving Clay staring after her.

                Once reunited, the small group from Roswell clumped together. No one knew what to say or how to comfort James or Clay, so they distanced themselves instead. Max, Michael, and Kyle began cooking dinner. Physically drained, the women were grateful when the guys insisted on letting them sleep. Standing close together, refusing to leave each other's side, Isabel, Liz, and Maria walked past the living room and down the hall. Reaching the beautiful country home's master bedroom, the girls opened the door and smiled at the large King-size bed calling to them. Within minutes of laying down they each fell asleep, instinctively holding onto an arm or hand of their dearest friends. They slept off and on, while the guys took turns watching them. Once dinner was done, the guys gently woke up the tired and terrifyingly thin girls to eat. Kyle escorted each girl to a seat at the large, mahogany table. Fumbling over themselves to fix large plates of food, the guys jovially teased and threatened each other over being the first one to return to the table with food for the girls. Smiling, Liz and Maria stifled laughter while Isabel further taunted them.

                "I can't believe you guys actually cooked!" Isabel said, smiling sweetly at several guffaws. As dinner was served, everyone ate their fill before debating on desert. Stuffed from dinner, the girls shied away from dessert. Having gone without much food for so long, they each were silently thankful they had managed to eat what was on their plates. It would take time for their appetites to return to normal. Sitting down with his second helping of banana pudding, Kyle looked over hesitantly.

                "So, what happened?" Kyle asked quietly. Watching as almost at once the smiles left Liz's, Isabel's, and Maria's faces, Max spoke up quickly.

                "You don't have to tell us, if you're not ready." Max said, reaching out a supportive hand to his friends and wife.

                "I'm not sure what we should tell." Maria said while giving a meaningful look to the other two girls. "We thought we had won and then we wake up, in a cell of some type." Understanding the look, no one knew how much detail to give. Retelling the torture they experienced while separated from the guys was not something anyone wanted to share. Clay and James had remained pretty much silent the entire meal, wanting to try to stay upbeat but failing miserably. Sharing Caitlin's judgments might be more than they could handle.

                "Tell us what you can." Michael said, longing to reach out and touch this woman he loved so much. The three girls were once again huddled together though, making any contact from him or the others impossible. _Whatever they went through, they must have survived it together._

                "I don't know what happened, or what they did, but whatever it was they knocked the four of us unconscious. One by one we woke up, and then _it_ began." Maria said, remembering the events as clearly now as when she lived them. Looking at the blonde, James could not hide the question written across his face. Seeing it, Isabel spoke up.

                "The nightmare. I wish it had not been real, I wished it then, and I wish it now." Sighing, Isabel looked down. Unable to contribute anymore and unwilling to go into detail, the blonde with the hauntingly dark eyes stared emptily at the five men in front of her.

                "It was real, though. At first, it was almost surreal. We were separated, and all we wanted was to wake up and be back with our family, with you guys." Liz said, looking at Max. Getting strength from his silent encouragement, Liz continued after taking a deep sigh. "They put us on trial. I don't think it was just the Antarians, or people from Vorak, I think it was a group of aliens from each of the five planets in the V System."

                "On trial?" James asked, eyes wide in comprehension.

                "What for?" Kyle asked angrily.

                "You name it. They listed everything from Kristlyn's betrayal of the Royal Four and Volandra's betrayal of the King of Antar to Caitlin's murder of loyal guards of the court of Vorak and Petrax to my support of the Royal Four and Liz's marriage to the rebel King of Antar." Maria spouted sarcastically, greatly displeased with every charge. While she did not know who or what Caitlin and Isabel had been or done as Kristlyn and Volandra, she did not care. It was not who they were in this lifetime, and in her opinion that's what really matters. Staring open eyed at Michael and seeing the tight lines around his mouth, she felt the anger course through her veins as it washed over him. To be tried for loyalty to friends, for love, for self defense from those who would murder you because of your lineage, it all disgusted them.

                "Was it a traditional trial? Four parts?" Clay asked, understanding completely what the girls had gone through as Caitlin's absence took on a whole new light.

                "Yes," Liz said, looking at the sparkles shining from Clay's blue green eyes in wonder, "there were four parts. They claimed the list of crimes were so numerous they had no choice."

                "Why then? All these years, why should the court interfere now?" James asked, confused.

                "Because we not only tried to kill Kivar and Petrax, we almost succeeded." Isabel said in understanding. _However they survived, it must have been too close a call for them to ignore._

                "Why didn't you contact us?" Max looked at Isabel as the words left his lips, free of malice.

                "They blocked my powers. It was like they hit a switch and boom! I could no longer dreamwalk. Later…" Isabel began but was unable to finish.

                "They hit the switch again and we were unable to feel our connections to you guys at all. There was a sudden loss of… love. I've never felt so alone, so empty before." Liz said, looking at Max with hollowed deep brown eyes.

                "All we had was each other, up until the end." Maria said listlessly.

                "The final judgment?" James asked, horrified at what a court so misled could have decided on.

                "Yes, but before they could carry out the judgments, Selena took out the guards and took us to a transport ship. She went for Isabel, and when they came back… she sent us here." Liz said.

                "Without Caitlin." James tried to keep the anger out of his voice, but try as he might he could not stop the ball of pure rage forming in his gut. "Without Caitlin."

                "Petrax had already left with her to carry out the judgment. There was nothing she could do." Maria said, looking at James with sad eyes that begged him to believe her.

                "The judgment?" Clay whispered.

                "Maria and I were supposed to go to a work camp on Antar, Isabel was supposed to marry Kivar and bare his child," Liz spoke softly, loving Max all the more as his heart went out to his sister and the fate that would have killed her if she hadn't escaped with the others. "They wanted Caitlin to give Petrax an heir, who would one day rule Vorak." Looking up, Maria and Isabel saw Liz's reluctance to tell the rest of the judgment.

                "Answer just one more question." Clay stated with grim determination. "Did Petrax take her to the Feriz facility?" Surprised, Isabel nodded slowly while James exhaled sharply. Seeing the confirmation of his worst fears, Clay stood up and walked away. Heading towards the area that allowed him to think and grieve freely, everyone stared after Clay in confusion.

                "The Feriz facility?" Kyle asked, confused.

                "Petrax will mate with her, then they will kill her. It's the sole reason the facility exist. It is reserved for those whose crimes against life are so severe they have to give life to atone for them." James uttered before standing up and walking to his bedroom. Hearing the door close, the girls looked at Max, Michael, and Kyle solemnly. Beyond tears, the girls stared on as the guys struggled with the knowledge they had lost one of the group's newest members so early on. As the minutes passed, the group slowly fell into a routine. The guys picked the new things in their lives back up as the girls took advantage of the comfortable King size mattress.

Taking turns with the farm's chores established a week earlier, Max, Michael, and Kyle rotated between the chores, watching those that slept, and spending time with their loved ones. Clay had not returned from his private sanctuary, and no one found it necessary to disturb him. James spent most of the time in his bedroom, finding it difficult to stay conscious. Noticing his listlessness, Maria secretly wondered if he was becoming depressed. Unable to blame him, the frail blonde looked on as she reacquainted herself with the man whose love she would endure all the pain in the universe for.

                "Maria," Tired of trying to put into words everything he was feeling, Michael leaned in to kiss Maria for the hundredth time since her return. Understanding, Maria responded ardently to his touch. All barriers crumbled as a rush of pure heat melted the cores of each lover. Uniting body, mind and soul, Michael and Maria closed one chapter in their lives to begin another, together. Finding peace within each other at last, the fiery couple shared their experiences along with their grief over the last month's events. Now resting, Maria clung to Michael's sweating body as if to a lifeline.

                "I love you Michael." Maria whispered, smiling as Michael acknowledged for the first time since their powerful lovemaking his knowledge of the extent of her love for him that existed behind the words with a tender kiss. 

                "I love you, Maria." Michael whispered, smiling as the soft words caressed Maria into the first night's peaceful sleep in weeks.

_In space…_

                Walking into Caitlin's room, Petrax smiled wickedly.

                "Hello, Kristlyn. I see you haven't taken to your surroundings yet. What a shame! After all the trouble I went through to have those chains made especially for you, the least you can do is struggle." Petrax laughed, greatly pleased Kristlyn had finally lost the desire to fight. Rolling her head upwards to look Petrax in the eyes, Caitlin attempted to stare him down.

                "Anything I can do to bring you displeasure." Caitlin said, her voice weak from a lack of strength due to her imprisonment. Unable to hold the stare any longer, Caitlin once again looked down.

                "You know, Kristlyn, you really should save your strength for what's to come. Being a hybrid, it might not be easy to get you pregnant. I'll probably have to try, and try, and try…" Petrax laughed once again. "Yes, you should save your strength." Pleased to see Caitlin's eyes lose their defiance in favor of hopelessness, Petrax walked out. 

Alone, Caitlin prayed silently for an honorable death. _Please, let me go out fighting. Let me do my family proud._ Remembering Clay's beautiful, loving face and James' teasing, protective nature, Caitlin tried once again to make contact. Each time she thought she came closer to breaking through the heavy void, only to be jerked back to reality by the inevitable emptiness. This time, she refused to give up and continued to focus.

                _Clay… Clay… Clay…_ Try as she might, Caitlin wasn't able to make contact; she couldn't feel so much as a flicker of the warmth and love that signaled the return of her connection with Clay. Frustrated but determined, Caitlin moved her focus to James. _James… James… James…_ Feeling a tiny flicker of hope, Caitlin concentrated twice as hard. She felt James reaching out to her, but every time she expanded her reach to connect with him he proved further than she thought. Unsuccessfully calling to him, Caitlin took heart in the fact that he was trying to contact her as well. Just knowing that someone was out there, just beyond her reach yes but still out there gave her the hope and strength to continue fighting.


	15. Chapter 15

Title: New Ties

**Summary**: After the group leaves Roswell to escape from the FBI (in the final episode of Roswell), they continue to live their destinies. The group meets other hybrids that join them. This fanfic was written after the final episode of Roswell, and may or may not have accurate names in it for the planets mentioned in the V solar system the aliens come from.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Roswell or any of its characters. I only claim the characters that I created in this fanfic, not the original ones. I wrote this for fun, not for profit, so please don't sue.

**Feedback**: Sorry to take so long to get this up guys. Please R&R! Thanks!

**Chapter 15**

_James' Bedroom…_

                Sitting straight up in bed, James wiped the sweat from his brow. _Caitlin._ For some reason his sister was just out of his reach. Frustrated, James rolled out of bed and left his room. Walking through the country style farmhouse, James could hear noises from Michael and Maria's room and high-pitched laughter from the living room and deep voices. Moving that way, James smiled when Isabel's bright eyes greeted him. Kyle, Isabel, Max, and Liz were all playing _Risk_.

                "Have you guys seen Clay around?" James asked, thoroughly enjoying the smiles and light-hearted teasing amongst his friends.

                "I haven't seen him since this morning. You should check his usual spot." Liz said, unable to prevent the sadness that crept into her voice. Clay had been scarce ever since the girls shared what happened with the guys. Understanding her feelings but not wanting Liz to dwell on something she couldn't change, James nodded his head and smiled brightly.

                "Okay, I know where to check then. Who's winning?" James asked lightly. As Kyle spoke up and started taunting Max and Liz, James chuckled before leaving to search for his friend. Finding the spot that Clay frequented more and more lately, James pulled back a protruding branch before stepping into plain sight of his friend.

                "What's up?" Clay asked, his voice low and husky. Stepping forward, James shrugged nonchalantly.

                "Nothing much, just woke up." James began, not sure what Clay's reaction would be. "I came close to connecting with Caitlin. Closer than I ever have before. I feel like I'm almost there, so close I can feel her but not close enough to make contact." James said excitedly. Not sure how he thought Clay would react but certainly not expecting the man to continue to sit there in silence, James became slightly agitated. "Well? That's good news Clay! We're this close to getting her back in our lives again, can't you feel it?"

                "This close to getting her back in our lives again!" Clay roared, on the verge of completely losing it. "No, we're not James, you're not. You're this close to being able to feel her again, not to getting her back."

                "What are you talking about?" James stuttered in exasperation and anger. "That's the first step. We have to make contact, we have to get our connection back. Once we do, we can sense her again. We'll know that she's alive, and okay. As long as we can sense her, can feel her, there's hope of getting her back."

                "No." In a single word Clay compressed every emotion and frustration and longing he had, above all was the complete and utter refusal to hope.

                "What?" James asked, shocked this man who had sworn his life to love and protect Caitlin would act like she's dead.

                "I don't want to feel her, to be connected to her again. If I feel her it will not give me hope of getting her back, it will only kill me. No, she might as well be dead with where she's going and what's in store for her there. Let her remain dead." Clay said solemnly, having made up his mind that it was for the best. Shocked, James stared at the man who he loved like a brother.

                "You don't know what you're saying. You can't be serious!" James exclaimed. Sighing, Clay stood up from his perch on a twenty-year old tree stump.

                "Yes, James, I do and I _am_ serious. You have a strong connection to Caitlin, she's your sister, your blood, your bond is such that you gain strength from her nearness, just feeling her presence whether it's close or light years away gives you strength. That's not true for me. Our connection is different, it always has been. If she worries, I feel it. If she is disappointed, I feel it. If she's in pain, I feel it. Don't you understand? With where she's going, she will die. And there's nothing I can do about it." Clay said, looking down as James finally understood. "I can't… it will kill me."

                "I understand," James said, his face contorting to form an ugly sneer. "You're a coward. Caitlin is about to go through the most painful experience of her entire life, and you're not man enough to see her through it. Yes, I understand perfectly. You're connection isn't special, it was the same with me and Sonya. I felt her _die_ Clay, and she felt my love for her through the end. It's the price we pay for love." Turning around, James walked away unsympathetically as Clay crumbled to the ground. Entering the farmhouse again, James headed straight for his room to once again collapse on the bed. Caitlin was trying to break through and reach him, and being just as determined as his younger sister, James fell asleep to try as well.

                Sitting there, on his knees in shame, Clay allowed the tears to roll down his cheeks unchecked.  "I wanted to be strong for you, to protect you. But that was to be your brother's role in the end, not mine." As the words Clay had once gained the strength to say aloud to Caitlin entered his mind, a low rumble of pure frustration began deep in his throat until he let it out in a mighty roar. Images of Caitlin in his arms, swearing her undying love to him, her loyalty, her faithfulness, in times of laughter and joy and those of sorrow and pain. And he, Clay, who had always counted himself a _man_, now recalled making the same vows and found himself scared. A _coward_, because he didn't want to share in Caitlin's pain. 

"Caitlin is about to go through the most painful experience of her entire life, and you're not man enough to see her through it." James' voice burned his ears once again. Sighing, Clay recognized the truth of it. He was scared, he was a coward, and yet he still loved Caitlin like no other. He had lied when he had said he didn't want to feel her again. He did, with all of his being, he longed for her. Not just for her touch, her scent, but for the light that surrounded her and filled him when they were connected. Her warmth, and caring, and love for life, the ferocity of her feelings for people, all of it that was Caitlin. When their connection had been severed, he became empty. It was as if he'd already died. "It's the price we pay for love." Once again, James refused to let him off the easy way. _Yes, it's the price we pay. I've already died. _Standing up, Clay vowed to continue living as a man. Leaving his private sanctuary in search of James, Clay silently promised his love to see her through the end.

"Hey," Max said hesitantly, seeing Clay walk through the living room with a determined look was unexpected. Glancing to the side, Clay saw the dark haired King and smiled. Still a boy in his estimation, he had been too hard on him at times since they'd met.

"Hey, have you seen James?" Clay asked, his voice low and husky, a sign of his previous emotional and turbulent thoughts.

"I think he went back to bed. He sure has been sleeping a lot." Kyle said, slightly worried. Nodding, Clay understood. For some reason, James had a better chance of connecting to Caitlin that way. The dream world was a powerful realm for their species.

"That makes sense. He's been trying to connect with Caitlin. Each time he gets closer, and the dream world enables him to focus solely on her essence." Clay explained.

"He's trying to connect with her? Do you think he'll be able to?" Liz asked excitedly only seconds before Isabel busted out with the same questions. Smiling, Clay looked at this group they had come to regard as family. _Maybe we do have a chance._

"It's possible. I'm not sure he'll be able to do it by himself though, but maybe if I help…" Clay said, unable to finish as Isabel interrupted.

"_We _help." Standing up, Isabel walked towards Clay with a large smile on her face. Perhaps the two of them with their dreamwalk abilities and strong feelings of love for Caitlin could help. Nodding his agreement, Clay led Isabel towards James' room. Watching them leave, Liz smiled brightly for the first time since seeing Max again.

"What's going on?" Maria asked as her and Michael passed Clay and Isabel in the hall. It was kind of strange to see the alien princess with Michael's cousin moving into another man's bedroom. The smile on Liz's face made everything even more suspicious. Unable to hide her excitement or contain it, Liz filled the others in quickly.

Walking into James' bedroom, Clay moved silently towards the bed and sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. Opting for a more comfortable position, Isabel claimed the overstuffed chair in the corner. Concentrating, the two soon found themselves on the dream plane. It didn't take long to enter James' dreams.

"Caitlin!!!" James yelled, tired but determined. Turning around, James walked smack into Clay and almost hit him. Catching his friend's fist, Clay smiled.

"It's okay, James, we're here to help." Clay said, smiling when Isabel walked up from behind him so James knew whom else was there. Clasping Clay's hand, James shook it and nodded gratefully.

"Thanks guys." James said. Concentrated, the three connected together and expanded the search for Caitlin. Reaching out, Clay gasped in shock. He could feel Caitlin's life force reach out to them. The three were shocked as she made contact. At once Caitlin's warmth flooded them, causing smiles to appear on their faces.

_In Caitlin's cell…_

                "What the?!" Caitlin exclaimed while rocking back and forth. Petrax's tiny transport ship connected to the larger one Kivar traveled in suddenly. Listening Caitlin heard erratic voices in the hallway, wondering what could cause the people of the King of Vorak to run scared. As the voices continued to float in and out, Caitlin resigned to let them deal with their own issues and focused on connecting to her loved ones again. Concentrating, Caitlin reached out with her mind. _James… Clay… _Tempted to say anyone, Caitlin hoped that Petrax would be too busy with whatever was going on to notice her attempts. Drawing deep within her for the energy she needed to reach further than she had ever tried, Caitlin pulled every memory of her loved ones she had to ride the wave of energy. Reaching out, Caitlin began getting dizzy as faces flashed before her closed eyes. James, Clay, and Isabel, at once consumed her vision and her being. Feeling the love the three sent to her, Caitlin followed the trail until she made contact.

At once Caitlin's core flooded with the love and concern her friends held for her.

                Breathing in deeply, Caitlin ignored the tears that fell from her eyes. After being alone for so long, she couldn't stop the tears and couldn't hide the strength of her feelings from her friends. Instead of trying to, Caitlin put more energy into the connection. Before long she was able to hear everyone's individual thoughts. Focusing, soon the four were able to communicate.

                "Caitlin." James whispered, knowing that loud volume was not necessary to be heard by his sister.

                "James." Caitlin responded, hardly able to believe that she could once again feel her older brother. Smiling as Isabel bombarded her with questions, Caitlin sensed Clay's hesitation to speak and his sense of dread at the answers to his friend's questions.

                "Yes, I'm okay Isabel. No, we haven't reached the Feriz facility yet. Right now the crew seems to be in an uproar about something. I'm not sure, but I don't really care as long as it means they, and Petrax, leave me alone." Caitlin said. Upon hearing his brother's name Clay could no longer remain silent.

                "Has he hurt you?" Clay asked, his voice low and husky. Filled with the hatred Clay held for Petrax, Caitlin breathed in sharply.

                "No, he hasn't. Please, Clay, you must control your anger. You're sending me negative energy and it's overwhelming." Caitlin pleaded. Shocked, Clay realized how much his emotions were affecting Caitlin by the strain in her voice.

                "I'm… I'm sorry." Clay said, debating whether or not to break off the connection. Sensing his friend's pain, James reached out to him.

                "It's okay Clay, just concentrate. She'll be fine, she needs you." James said, feeling the exact moment when Clay realized the truth of it.

                Hearing voices outside of her door, Caitlin became distracted. Recognizing Petrax and Kivar, Caitlin almost didn't catch Isabel's question.

                "Caitlin?" Isabel asked, not sure if her cousin was paying attention.

                "Uh, yes, I'm sorry Isabel. What was that?" Caitlin asked.

                "I said that Liz, Maria, and I escaped with the help of a shapeshifter named Selena. I think she went after you. Have you met her?" Isabel asked, hoping against hope that Selena would find her friend and bring her back to them.

                "No. She helped you guys escape? That's wonderful. So you are all back with the guys?" Caitlin asked, feelings of great happiness and joy overflowing within her.

                "Yes, yes we are. We miss you _so_ much." Isabel said, warm from Caitlin's selfless concern for their safety and happiness. Feeling Caitlin becoming more distant from them, Isabel became concerned and Clay started getting agitated. "Caitlin, are you okay?"

                "Huh, uh, yeah. Sorry guys, but I think I'm about to have company." Holding her breath, Caitlin watched the door open. Walking in, Petrax looked annoyed and Kivar looked out right angry. Caitlin began fading almost instantly. Fighting to sit still, Clay felt Caitlin become further and further away until she was only a hum in the back of his mind.

                "You _bitch_!" Kivar spat, forcing Caitlin to shrink back. Looking every bit as confused as she felt, Caitlin saw Kivar's rage and his restraint. Not sure if the pathetic creature before him was responsible for the disappearance of the others or not, Kivar looked the woman over. Seeing the tears that marred the creamy skin, Kivar's eyes narrowed to tiny slits. Despite the bones that protruded sharply beneath her skin and the rags that dripped off of her, Kristlyn was still a strong woman. Remembering the torture she had endured during the judgments, Kivar quickly became suspicious as he realized throughout all of that she had never once cried more than a single tear. His anger once again took over, "The others have been taken, but you already knew that, didn't you?"

                Unable to feign shock or surprise at the announcement, Caitlin sat there on the cold, hard ground and stared at him. Looking into Kivar's eyes, Caitlin saw the raw rage that slowly consumed him. Seeing the truth in her defiant eyes, Kivar gave up restraining his anger and backhanded the impudent creature. Looking between the two, Petrax wondered how his prisoner could have possibly known about the escape when he himself had just learned of it. Noticing the shiny tears that had not quite dried, Petrax's suspicions were immediately raised.

                "How did you know? What have you been doing in here?" Petrax asked harshly, afraid of the answers. Moving her eyes from Kivar's now distorted features to those of Petrax, Caitlin knew she would never see her friends or family again. The hatred emanating from the two rulers made that much obvious. Refusing to explain away the mystery, Caitlin lowered her eyes and sat there in silence. Reaching out, Petrax placed his hand over Caitlin's heart and forced a connection with her. As the connection opened against Caitlin's will, the remains of the once beautiful brunette focused on putting up wall after wall so that the deepest part of her soul would remain untouched.

                Forcing his way in, Petrax registered flash after flash of his desire's fervent escapades to escape death and Petrax's clutches. Hit at once by the memories of brotherly concern and her love of his brother, Petrax struggled to not allow the happy and content memories to consume him. Determined to find the answers he sought, Petrax continued deeper into the recesses of Caitlin's soul. Shocked, Petrax froze as he bounced back from the walls that his prisoner had carefully constructed to keep him out. Eyes bulging, Caitlin felt the moment that Petrax knew the truth. He was aware of her connection to her friends and loved ones, the love Clarek still holds for her vibrating throughout Kristlyn's being, like a low pitched hum. Stepping back, Petrax spoke with his face set in a grim line.

                "She knew the others had been taken, but she didn't have anything to do with it. Someone else did, a traitor. She found out because she has regained her connection to the others." Petrax stated, emotionless. Glancing at Petrax briefly, Kivar grimaced and nodded his head. Staring at the rebel Princess of Vorak coldly, Kivar moved for a chair before sitting down in it. Shaking his head, Kivar signaled for Petrax to leave. Without even a glance in Kristlyn's direction, Petrax left.

                "Since you are so determined to keep your connection with the others, I will grant you that one favor. Rest assured, whoever helped your friends will not be able to help you. So there is no point in maintaining hope. Before you carry out your destiny, your marriage to Petrax, the birth of Vorak's rightful heir, and your impending death, you should know your true history. You should know why you deserve your fate." Kivar uttered the words calmly, holding little malice. Looking into the tyrant's emotionless eyes, Caitlin gained the sense of being a child told of a crime that while the child didn't understand the crime, the act was nonetheless as criminal.

                "Before Zan's rule, the V System prospered. With the granolith in the hands of the royals, all of the planets remained in line. There was even a blossoming trade between them, benefiting everyone. The planets continued to prosper, even after Zan's father died, and he was named ruler. But discontent had started to grow between Vorak and Canor, something Zan felt it was imperative to address immediately. He sent a small convoy to Vorak, consisting of himself, his sister, and his second in command. Together, the small group of royals met with their cousins, Kilsnar, Kristlyn, and Clarek. It was agreed that Kilsnar would offer Kristlyn's hand in marriage to the son of King Kiven, the ruler of Canor. Once the match was made, the two royals would wed and peace would once again be restored. King Kiven met Kristlyn, and decided before the wedding would take place a trial had to be held first. He refused to allow his son to wed the Princess of Vorak at her brother's request. He wanted proof that she was worthy, and that it was the match meant for his son." Kivar's voice tapered off at the last, looking intensely into Caitlin's blue eyes. Understanding had started to dawn within them minutes earlier, and he found her shock fascinating.

                "He ordered a trial of Souls?" Caitlin asked, shocked that the King would ask such a thing of a neighboring royal. Watching the feline smile slowly grace Kivar's face, Caitlin was overcome with shivers. The trial of Souls was reserved for the most serious of situations, designed to test the honor and worthiness of the most unquestionable. To demand such a thing, the discontent between the two planets must have been much greater than Kivar chose to let on.

                "Indeed, he did. It was perfect. The grim expression on Zan's face when he agreed was beautiful. You should have seen it. It was priceless." Kivar said, lost in the memory temporarily.

                "He agreed." Caitlin said, without the strength to even question it. _It makes sense. The distrust Clay held for Max from the beginning. He must remember some of this._

                "Yes, and once you're cousin agreed, the one you and you're family had sworn allegiance too, you had no choice. When Zan and the rest of the convoy returned to Vorak to inform Vorak's King of his decision, Kilsnar had no choice but to enforce it. Despite Clarek's bitter struggle to claim his right to go through the trial of Souls on your behalf, he failed. You were shipped off to Canor, destined to undergo that hell alone." Kivar said. Standing up, he moved around the room to stretch his legs. Stopping briefly to stare at a wall, Kivar once again smiled. "You know Kristlyn, I've never known whether it was your brother's gutsy stand as King of Vorak that forced you to face the trial, or if it was your foolish refusal to allow anyone to stand through it in your place. Either way, it worked to my advantage."

                Staring at Kivar's back, Caitlin realized where he was going. Clarek would have been furious, with both her brother Kilsnar and with Zan. That bitterness and anger would have created rifts that Kivar could take advantage of. And evidently, he did. Going cold, Caitlin could no longer feel the gentle hum in the back of her mind that signaled the presence of Clay and her other friends. In fact, she could no longer feel anything. All she could do was sit there. Sit there and listen how she had helped cause the downfall of the royals, and their precious people.

                "You underwent the trial with King Kiven's son. You survived, and were deemed worthy, but his son did not. Furious, King Kiven demanded restitution. He demanded you take his dead wife's place at his side, and bare him a son. Outraged, you refused, claiming it was not your fault his son was unworthy. Boarding a messenger's ship, you took flight to Vorak before his guards could lock you up. Once home, your brother and his second in command, the wretched Clarek, refused to turn you over. So instead of healing the wounds between Vorak and Canor, you drove them deeper. Sympathetic and unwilling to sacrifice his cousin a second time for a peace that seemed doomed to failure, Zan granted you clemency and supported your brother's refusal to turn you over. Bitter and angry, King Kiven had no problem making a deal with me. He made it possible to set the perfect trap."

                As she listened, Caitlin's numbness sank deeper into her being. She didn't want to hear this, didn't want to know, but Kivar refused to spare her. As the history lesson progressed, Caitlin's worst fears were realized. Canor's King sacrificed his people and the V System for revenge. He set up a meeting with the royals of Vorak under a false truce. After luring the group into his territory to meet to discuss an arrangement that would heal the rift between the planets, he held them prisoner while Kivar attacked Vorak. Without the leadership of their royals, the natives fell quickly. Soon false rumors spread among the people of Vorak, leading them and later the people of the V System to believe the royals had betrayed their cousins, the Royal Four. Unable to defend herself, Caitlin listened. It didn't matter that Kristlyn was a different being, another life, that she neither remembered nor cared to. It didn't matter, because everyone was hell bent on her being Kristlyn, and she herself could not deny that she would have acted the same in that situation. So instead of defending herself and her loved ones, Caitlin listened.

                "The Royal Four died believing you all had betrayed them. Once they believed that, it didn't matter if Volandra had betrayed them or not. It wasn't the first time their blood had turned on them. So they died, all of them, and the V System became mine. With the betrayal of the royals of Vorak and the death of the Royal Four, the Court made my claim as ruler of Antar official. I made sure the judging body remained, but have carefully kept it under tight control. Something that has recently benefited me greatly." Kivar said, once again smiling. "It is unfortunate that your friends escaped. We will just hunt them down again and kill them. This time, there will be no interference by the Court. I've seen to that." The cold hearted alien uttered beneath his breath. Completely numb, Caitlin listened to Kivar's threat listlessly. While the words still rang in her head, no emotion or meaning was attached to them. The malnourished and sleep deprived brunette finally gave in to the subtle pull of nothingness haunting her since her first step on Petrax's space ship.


	16. Chapter 16

_Baker's Farm…_

"Something's wrong. I know it is, I can feel it." Clay said, pacing back and forth on the sheepskin rug in the living room.

"Give it a rest Clay, you don't know that for sure." James said, unable to hide his irritation. He was worried about her too; his friend's constant reminder of the danger his sister was in was wearing thin on his nerves. Outraged, Clay looked over to James and saw the pinched expression on his face making his concern for his sister evident. Changing from angry to annoyed, Clay continued his pacing.

"Guys, there is nothing we can do here. Caitlin is strong, she always has been. You have to trust that." Isabel said, thinking of the many times she has envied Caitlin's strength, and thinking she must have done so many times as Volandra as well.

"I hate to say it, but she's right. Come on guys, today you made contact. Something we didn't even think was possible. Have faith it'll be possible again." Liz said, clinging to Max for his warmth as well as his strength. Looking at the young brunette, Clay recognized the strength and hope she radiated beneath the surface, despite her apparent vulnerability. Glancing at Max briefly, he nodded his head in agreement. Caitlin is strong, so he decided to walk over to a smaller wooden table and pick up the deck of cards sitting on it.

"Anyone want to play a game?" Clay asked, taking deep breaths to force himself to relax. Smiling, Isabel nodded her head and walked over to play. Sensing a shift in mood, James decided to put his worry aside and joined the others. Soon everyone was sitting around the table, prepared to play several games of cards. Before long, Michael and Maria entered a grudge match. The fire that had briefly seemed extinguished in Maria's eyes would glimmer, giving Michael hope that she would eventually recuperate from her ordeal during the judgments. Likewise excited to see the flare up of sarcastic remarks and biting words, Liz smiled more freely as she remembered days in high school when her two friends would do nothing but fight in public and make out in private. It gave her hope, hope that one day things will be okay again.

As the night progressed, the sun went down and the moon slowly began its journey into the nighttime sky. The farmhouse filled with laughter and mock threats, everyone completely at ease with their current situation. Though no one dared to speak Caitlin's name, a silent understanding had been reached earlier to accept her fate. If she returned to them, then they would celebrate. If not, they would survive and live as she would have wanted. Either way, they finally accepted that her fate was out of their hands. Whatever happened, she would be strong through it and that was what counted.

_Feriz Facility…_

"Escort the prisoner off the ship. I want her placed in a maximum security cell. She is to be completely cut off from everyone, even the guards. Remember, she is extremely powerful, even without the other royals." Petrax barked out, glaring at the soldiers as they each looked curiously at the hybrid princess. Though Kivar's control in the V System had been well established decades before, Vorak's tyrannical ruler was not convinced that his control extended to the outer reaches of the system. There were some here who still considered the Royal Four the legitimate bloodline, and that sympathy bled over to their cousins. Even guards seemed to look at and hold Caitlin with a manner of regard that the woman would have been accustomed too in her old life. The fact that she was only half Vorakian did not matter, to these rustics she was still the Princess of one of the most powerful planets in the system.

As much as Petrax glared and yelled, nothing seemed to change the way the guards treated her. They were still as gentle, and in many ways could be construed as more so with each glare. Once the guards reached the cell that Caitlin would be held in, Petrax reached out and shoved the lifeless creature inside. Grim faced and stolid, the guards had no choice but to step aside and watch. They each knew of the rumors of old, that the cousins of the Royal Four had betrayed the V System, but nothing in Kivar's reign of terror since seemed to support it. So they remained silent and obedient, determined to watch and wait.

As much as Petrax glared and yelled, nothing seemed to change the way the guards treated her. They were still as gentle, and in many ways could be construed as more so with each glare. Once the guards reached the cell that Caitlin would be held in, Petrax reached out and shoved the lifeless creature inside. Grim faced and stoic, the guards had no choice but to step aside and watch. They each knew of the rumors of old, that the cousins of the Royal Four had betrayed the V System, but nothing in Kivar's reign of terror since seemed to support it. So they remained silent and obedient, determined to watch and wait.

"Hello," Selena whispered, so as not to draw attention. Nodding his head, the older guard watched with delight as Selena made her request. Pleased to hear of Volandra's safe getaway, he was eager to assist Kristlyn make the same journey. Devising a plan with the younger shapeshifter, the guard moved away nonchalantly several minutes later. The rendezvous occurred without incident, leaving both parties greatly relieved that it went without notice from any of the surrounding crew. Heading towards Kristlyn's cell, the guard remembered the smile on Selena's face as he told her that he was up next to guard the prisoner in silence. Bringing joy to the young female who had taken so much upon her shoulders since the death of her parents brought much pleasure to the older alien.

Nodding his head, the guard took his post as he watched the alien he replaced move off while wearing a grim expression. Slightly confused, the replacement turned his head and peered into the cell. Seeing the listless human form with the blank eyes, the guard wondered if he hadn't made a mistake. Surely that wasn't the Princess of Vorak, who had formerly been known for her feisty nature and fierce loyalty. Even the rumors of her betrayal did not ring true to his aged countenance, as now her physical presence rang a false note within his being. Native to Vorak, the guard remembered the days of the royals, often seeing the princess in the streets with her people. Convinced that was where she belonged, he heard many stories of her loving brother dissuading her from the behavior. Their King had warned that the inappropriate behavior would be her downfall, and in many ways it was. Though he as yet did not know the true story of those many years ago on the planet Canor, with the death of King Kiven's son much sorrow and grief had resulted. Glancing once again at the pathetic looking human, the guard sighed. Perhaps it was she after all, remembering the years of grief and pain her people had suffered as a result of her pride.

Stoic, the guard stood in silent thought while Selena waited. Once the halls cleared from regular traffic, the young shapeshifter moved in. With her friend's assistance, she opened the cell and beckoned to the rebel princess. Unable to get Kristlyn to respond at all, Selena moved into the cell and picked her up. Greatly displeased with carrying an unresponsive royal, Selena moved throughout the halls determinedly. The guard watched her back the entire way, acting as escort as much as accomplice. Once the princess was safely loaded into a half circle shaped bed of sorts in a transport ship, Selena and the guard moved back to the cells. Grateful the royal had been confined to one of many solid cells in a rarely visited area of the Feriz facility, Selena and the guard moved back into position easily. Once he stood his post again, Selena stunned the guard with a low-grade weapon, silently thanking the older man and her longtime friend for his assistance.

Hearing high pitch alarms pierce her delicate ears, Selena closed the transport ship's doors and immediately left the docking area. Once safely entering the dark vacuum of space, the young shapeshifter directed the ship towards a small planet in a different system. Traveling across the vast distance, Selena received reports from comrades fighting to remain unnoticed at the Feriz facility and from friends happily situated in the royal houses on each planet. In her all too few years of life, Selena worked diligently to see herself and her closest friends situated where they could keep tabs on those who had betrayed the V system for power. Now, for the first time since the death of her parents, she felt an elation building deep within her. She silently prayed to the universal power responsible for all creation to continue to bless them, and help them right the wrongs that had been done so many years ago.

Looking behind her, the self appointed bodyguard glanced briefly at her silent companion. The princess's state could only be called catatonic, and this had the hopeful alien worried. She only hoped the rest of the royals could break the hold Kivar had seemed to place over the royal hybrid. Once again looking at the instrument panel, Selena immediately realized the foolishness of traveling straight to Earth. Kivar and Petrax would certainly follow them there. Opting for a more unusual route, Selena changed the coordinates of the transport ship to head to the princess's home world, Vorak. There several close friends awaited her, some of which had known the princess while growing up, others had witnessed the downfall of the royals first hand. Selena thanked the heavens once again for her close circuit of friends. Having practically raised herself after the death of her parents, Selena was grateful for the knowledge her older friends were able, and quite willing, to pass on. It was that knowledge that eased her worries over Kristlyn's alleged betrayal. Those deep within the royal court but on the fringe enough to survive the bloodbath of Kivar's early reign swore their lives to aid the royals, earnest that they were the rightful houses. In her innocence and grief, Selena had questioned the validity of this after the death of her parents. Witnessing the pain Kivar inflicted on her people time and time again had since squelched those doubts. Now, thinking of the friends she would see again, Selena smiled. Her faith in her friends and Princess Volandra was enough to hold her steadfast in her mission. She would see the rebel princess to safety.


	17. Chapter 17

_Baker's Farmhouse_

"Are you sure Clay? You're welcome to stay with us, please don't leave." Liz said softly, her plead not going unnoticed.

"Nanh, I appreciate it, I appreciate everything you guys have done for me since I arrived, but I need to leave." Seeing the shine in Liz and Maria's eyes, Clay cracked a smile on his ruggedly handsome face. "Hey! Cheer up! You'll see me again!" Reassured, both ladies smiled and finished their farewells before watching Clay leave. Seeing the broad shouldered cousin of Michael's kick the twigs at his feet as he moved away, Liz sighed. Refusing to think on whether her family will be whole again, the young brunette forced a smile on her face and turned to join the others.

"Are you okay?" Max asked James, understanding how painful it must be to first lose your sister, and then to have to watch your best friend walk away. Silent but strong, James nodded his head slowly. Taking in a deep breath, Max saw James' shoulders relax.

"It's for the best. We'll see him again, but right now… he has his own path to follow." James said, wondering when their paths would cross again, and hoping it would be permanent the next time. Nodding his head in understanding, Max looked off in the distance and was barely able to make out Clay's retreating form.

"Are you sure it is his path alone?" Max asked, not missing the glares his question received from Liz and Maria. Turning slowly, James saw the concern deep within the King's amber eyes and realized the truth at the center of it.

"I understand Max, but Clay has to reconcile his fate by himself. If I go with him, he'll never fully understand his purpose in this lifetime. Believe me, as difficult as it is to watch my best friend leave, it is nothing to standing by and seeing him torn apart. I learned that lesson a lifetime ago. For right now, he has his own journey to take. Our paths will cross again, hopefully soon." James said, remembering the bitter taste of betrayal caused by the rift of anger his arrogance created in another lifetime. Looking at James, Max recognized the aged expression and stoic appearance that seemed to mark the Kings in his family line. Not knowing if he would be as brave if it was Michael leaving, Max nodded his head slowly and backed away to give James some space. Moving off to the side, Max noticed the slump in Liz and Maria's shoulders, springing forth a desire to lift the spirits of those who meant the most to him.

"Come on ladies, we'd better get inside. I overheard Michael threaten to cook dinner. I don't know about you guys, but my stomach is already protesting." Max said, a half smile gracing his face. Seeing Liz and Maria's faces light up, Max was pleased with the joking he heard as the girls headed back inside. Turning around, Max briefly placed his hand on James' shoulder before whispering, "Take the time you need. We'll hold dinner for you." Tilting his head downward in gratitude, James continued to stare off at the vanished figure of a childhood friend. As tough as he had it losing his sister, he knew Clay was suffering. James nearly lost himself when Sonya died, and it was only his connection to his sister that kept him sane. Now, with her disappearance and Sonya's death over three years past, he knew Clay had nothing to hold onto. _That's not true. What about our friendship?_ Shaking his head, James rebuked himself for his selfish thoughts. Nothing pulled on a Vorakian soul like that of sibling or lover. Blinking quickly, James wished his friend a speedy return and turned around to join the others for dinner.

_The open road…_

Sticking out his thumb, Clay allowed thoughts of friends and family to rattle around. The past four years had been some of the toughest of his life, it seemed as though Claire's death had been nothing but the beginning of loss in his world. Sighing, Clay's blue-green eyes misted over as he remembered the strong willed shapeshifter, and her lessons during the time he and his friends had to grow up. At seventeen, their lives took another direction. Turning sharply, Clay coughed at the clouding dirt from the slow rolling truck stopping to offer him a lift. Smiling his gratitude, Clay hopped in the cab and tried not to wince at the foul smelling driver. Turning to look at the passing countryside, Clay shrugged his head at the driver's agreement to take him as far as the Rockies. Even though he headed back towards the area where Caitlin had first disappeared, he decided to go with it instead of trying to hail another trucker. By this time, Clay had accepted his fate.

Dozing off and on, Clay spent his time in the front cab of the semi seeking what rest he could attain as the memories of the last battle assailed him. Trying to focus on the good, the escape and safe return of the three girls he had so recently become close to, Clay once again sighed. Each showed the affects of their ordeal, carrying about them a halo of sadness. Liz seemed more vulnerable than usual, even despite her increasing powers. Isabel wore her sorrow as well as can be expected of a high school beauty queen, and the light Maria radiated was dimmer than it ever should be. Feeling the rush of anger once again surge within him, Clay clenched his jaw in an effort to keep from screaming out in rage. His friends, his family, was suffering, again. All he wanted was for it to end, for everyone to be happy. Exhaling forcefully, Clay looked at the lush landscape and thought how peaceful their lives could be, if ever given the chance.

Turning slightly to see an aged, rustic looking town, Clay wondered what lay ahead of him. He thought about the type of work available in this area, and then smiled at how weird it was to feel concerned about earning a living. Almost placing the past events on hold, how strange it felt to be overcome with thoughts of money, shelter, food. Things people normally had to think about, things he rarely did, now floated around in his brain forcing him to move on as he had told the others he needed to do. As the truck pulled to a stop, Clay thanked the driver and stepped down onto the dirt road. Turning around, Clay saw the rusty metal buildings and the dusty sidewalks of his new home. How odd, to claim a home without those he loved. Remembering his last days at the farmhouse, the soon to be birthday boy discovered what it was to leave _family_ in search of amnesia. He had literally wanted to forget, everything, the struggle and the good. So here he stood, dealing with the unknown; scared shitless that unknown was his _family_ once again fighting, once again being threatened. Looking at the small, rural town and the normalcy it promised, Clay once again stuck his thumb out to bum a ride. Grim faced, he wondered why it took so long for his senses to come back to him. After standing there resolutely for an hour, Clay finally caught a ride and headed back towards home.

_Baker's Farm…_

Looking around the large expanse, Isabel breathed in deeply while admiring the beautiful greenery. Forcing herself to not cringe at the openness of the farm, Isabel had finally forced herself to come outside and check out their new home. Walking down the dirt path, she refused to be afraid. This is their home, after all, _her_ home; it was time she became acquainted with it. Moving down the path, Isabel reached a small fork with one side leading up to a larger stone ridden path heading up to the road with the other one trailing off into a smaller dirt path behind the house. Deciding to follow the second one, Isabel's eyes began widening in awe of the beauty of Baker's Farm. Filled with large fields almost ready to be harvested, the young woman marveled at the crop.

Surprised, Isabel wondered at Jim Baker's cleverness. Fully expecting fruits and vegetables or potatoes or something, Isabel instead found large, lush trees. She wasn't sure what type they were, but it was obvious this was a different type of farm than she had imagined. The height and expanse of these trees provided plenty of cover, increasing the security of the group. To the right and ahead some, there was a fenced in area almost half a mile long and a hundred feet wide. Moving forward, Isabel reached the area and looked down. Once again caught off guard, Isabel smiled. She had wondered how the guys always managed to have fresh vegetables if this was a fern farm of some type, but now she understood. Jim kept a smaller plot of land to farm vegetables and various smaller fruits. Those combined with the large fruit trees in the front of the property assured that the group need only purchase the basics at the store; such as meat, a few more fruits like bananas, and general supplies. Looking around at her home contentedly, Isabel gasped. Staring straight at her from not fifty feet away was someone she never expected to see.

"Amazing isn't it. It's hard to believe anyone would ever want to leave this, or their family." Clay said, with no hurt hidden in the depth of his voice while speaking the word "family." Allowing a small smile to play across her face, Isabel allowed hope to fill her heart once more. Running forward, Isabel squeaked and jumped up to hug Clay enthusiastically. Hearing the noises and wondering what was up, Michael moved around the side of the house and stood in disbelief at what he saw.

"Hey cuz," Clay muttered, setting Isabel down gently. Smiling, Michael moved forward and roughly hugged Clay. Stepping back, the two young men smiled and turned just as a high pitched squeak filled their eardrums and began reverberating.

"You're back!" Maria screamed, jumping onto Clay and squeezing him in a tight hug just as Isabel had done a moment ago. Clasping the all too thin woman easily, Clay hugged her gently and then placed her back onto her feet. Catching Michael's eye, Clay just smiled bashfully while Maria pulled him by the arm, dragging him into the house.

"Hey, what's go…" Max said while turning around, quickly jumping off the couch and moving forward. Smiling, Max clasped Clay's hand and squeezed it. Just as happy, Liz moved forward for a quick hug before pouncing on the unsuspecting birthday boy. Moving into the kitchen, Liz quickly pulled out the hidden cake and lit the candles. Walking into the living room, Liz started singing Happy Birthday, causing the excited group to join along, much to Clay's chagrin.

"So, how old are you, anyway Clay?" Isabel asked, wondering. Grimacing, Clay turned around as a timbre voice responded "26" before he could deny it. Standing there, finding great amusement in the annoyance and pleasant surprise on Clay's face, James reached out to his brother once more.

"Well, you didn't have to share." Clay said gruffly, causing the happy group to laugh. Turning to Liz, Clay asked, "How did you know?" Smiling, Liz winked and went for a knife to cut the cake. Not knowing if Liz's premonitions had hinted or if James had flat out informed her, Clay just shrugged. Either way, he still had no choice but to stand there and listen to the taunts. After several minutes went by, Clay grimaced and sat down roughly on the couch. "Enough already." Laughing, the others began milling around with cake slices in hand. The party was on, and even grumpy Clay soon began laughing again.


	18. Chapter 18

_Vorak…_

Looking around the impressive room, Selena watched Kristlyn continue to stare out the window listlessly. The young shapeshifter had hoped seeing her home world would snap the princess out of it, but after a week in the exotic, beautiful world the hybrid had shown no reaction. Instead, Kristlyn was content to sit at the window seat in her shared bedchamber and watch the sky change colors from dusk to dawn. Sighing, Selena moved across the room when she heard a light knock on the door. Glancing once again in Kristlyn's direction, Selena glided across the floor and slowly opened the door. Smiling at the familiar face, she stepped back to allow an aging slick skinned alien female to enter.

"How is my princess?" Grans asked, instinctively looking at the direction of the window until she saw the tiny human shaped object of years of affection and dedication. Grans' sister had been Kristlyn's maiden, dedicating years to her highness. After the death of the royals, those closest to them were executed. Grans had been fortunate enough to survive, having been relatively young and rarely personally interacting with the royals. She had watched them live proudly and honestly, always putting the people first while remaining loyal to their cousins, the Royal Four. "Has she not moved from that spot at all?" Grans asked, not happy with the current state of her highness.

"No, she hasn't. I'm not sure she has slept either. When she does close her eyes, she has nightmares. I don't know what to do with her. I thought bringing her here would help, that seeing her home world would bring back good memories. Maybe it hasn't, maybe it has just reminded her of what she did to her people. Maybe she's punishing herself for her betrayal." Selena said, finding courage to vocalize the thoughts that had plagued her since their arrival.

"Bite your tongue, Selena. She never betrayed her people, she always remained true and loyal to them. If anything, her people betrayed her by not remaining loyal to her wishes and desires. Why shouldn't a princess be allowed to choose her escort? What right does her people have to question that? No, no Selena, never say that she betrayed her people again. Remember, I was here, when it all happened, and I'm telling you, never a more loyal friend or ruler could you hope to find. Not even in the vestiges of King Zan." Grans spouted, refusing to allow someone less than half her age speak on things she knows nothing about.

"Then why hasn't she come out of it? Coming here was suppose to keep her safe, and bring her back to her senses." Selena said, slumping down onto the bed in despair. Walking over, Grans looked over her highness while Selena sulked.

"So your plan didn't work, don't pout. She'll come out of it. In the meantime… have you not given her a bath?" Grans asked, glancing sharply at the young soldier who meant well. Looking up, Selena scrunched her face and shook her head. Sighing, Grans gently picked up the fragile human. Spending the next few hours taking care of Kristlyn, Grans cleaned her, dressed her, and fed her. Reverting to some old tricks often used to force stubborn children to eat. Tasting the odd food, the newly cleaned brunette shifted her head slightly, as if trying to decide whether the unusual food was worth acknowledging or not. Bringing Grans some hope, the older alien continued to feed the malnourished woman. Obviously, Selena's talents lay in fighting and rebelling, not in compassion and mothering. Smirking, Grans smiled at the prospect of Selena one day wedding and being a mother; something she had often hoped for of her namesake, the King of Vorak's wife. Once again sighing, Grans finished up and lightly carried the princess to bed, making sure she slept. Sitting at watch, Grans softly chanted until a light yellow haze surrounded her charge. Satisfied that she would now sleep peacefully, Grans moved to the window seat and waited.

_Baker's Farm…_

Giggling, Liz pulled Max after her and headed to their bedroom. Watching, Maria smiled. She couldn't exactly blame them, her and Michael disappeared often enough. Still, her childhood best friend was married, and took great pains in pointing that out. Looking at her own love, currently wearing whip cream on his reddening face, Maria smiled. _Well, maybe one day._ Hearing a guttural growl from the now bright red Michael, Maria grinned as Kyle muttered something before running out the back door. Following suite, Michael quickly left Maria's vision, filling her world with complete silence. Sighing, Maria began cleaning up the mess in the kitchen. Looking at the unfinished Chocolate cream pie, Maria went for a spoon to try it when a loud crash reached her ears from outside. Looking up, Maria laughed as Clay dragged in a red faced Michael and a wet Kyle. Not as amused, the guys quickly headed for their rooms, deciding it was best to go to sleep now before things got worse. Smiling, Clay offered to help Maria clean up. Before long, the two were talking and laughing.

"Well, Kyle was asking for it. I mean really, Michael hates Cool Whip. He could have at least used… I don't know, Redi Whip or something." Maria said, causing them both to laugh even more. Once the kitchen was cleaned and the pie placed in the fridge, Maria said good night and left Clay. Sitting on the couch, Clay began flipping channels on the television. Flopping on the couch beside of him, James glanced up briefly before looking back down at a set of newspapers in his hands.

"Turn it to the news." James said, listening as Clay complied. After the weather report, the news reporters began talking about an unexplained fire in the mountains north of them. Catching his interest, James leaned forward and turned up the volume some. "Listen, it's the second time in two days."

"For the second time this week unexplained fires have broken out across… Encasing a portion of the campgrounds. Fire and other officials have remained tight lipped about the apparent cause, saying only that it is still under investigation. The campground coordinators have increased their efforts to keep campers safe, and emphasize the necessity of a safe campground and for fire control…" The newswoman said, not aware two alien hybrids focused on the story intently.

"That's the same campground where we stayed." Clay said, not pleased with the possibilities.

"Yeah, I think our enemies have begun to show themselves. Either Kivar and Petrax have gotten tired of subtly, or the government is covering up any signs of unusual activity." James said, long since used to keeping an eye on the seemingly mundane, knowing that underneath it could be great danger. Grunting, Clay looked on as pictures of the scene flashed before them. Having not long ago committed to the fight and what may come, Clay looked on with determination.

"We'll be ready." Clay said in a deep, emotion filled voice. He refused to let the sacrifice made by the girls be for nothing, he refused to let their struggle be in vain. Glancing up, James whispered "I hope so." as the images continued to float across the screen.


	19. Chapter 19

_Vorak…_

"Grans, are you sure about this?" Selena asked, looking at the princess again before moving to the older alien's side. "Do you really think it'll help?" Sensing her mentor's determination, Selena sighed in resignation. Reaching out with her hands, the shapeshifter held Grans' hand on the right and touched hands with Kristlyn on the left. Focusing on Kristlyn, Selena felt the energy as Grans began concentrating, opening a connection to the hybrid princess and borrowed body guard. As the connection opened, Grans and Selena found themselves incased in fog, looking around slightly bewildered. As the fog cleared, Grans watched in horror as Kivar sat in front Kristlyn, taunting her.

"Before you carry out your destiny, your marriage to Petrax, the birth of Vorak's rightful heir, and your impending death, you should know your true history. You should know why you deserve your fate." Kivar uttered the words calmly, holding little malice.

"Before Zan's rule, the V System prospered. With the granolith in the hands of the royals, all of the planets remained in line. . . But discontent had started to grow between Vorak and Canor, something Zan felt it was imperative to address immediately. He sent a small convoy to Vorak, consisting of himself, his new bride, his sister, and his second in command. Together, the small group of royals met with their cousins, Kilsnar, Selena, Kristlyn, and Clarek. . . . It was agreed that Kilsnar would offer Kristlyn's hand in marriage to the son of King Kiven, the ruler of Canor. Once the match was made, the two royals would wed and peace would once again be restored. King Kiven met Kristlyn, and decided before the wedding would take place a trial had to be held first. . . He wanted proof that she was worthy, and that it was the match meant for his son." Kivar's voice tapered off at the last, looking intensely into Caitlin's blue eyes. Understanding had started to dawn within them.

"He ordered a trial of Souls?" Caitlin asked.

"Indeed, he did. . ." Kivar said, lost in the memory temporarily.

"He agreed." Caitlin said, without the strength to even question it.

"Yes, and once you're cousin agreed, the one you and you're family had sworn allegiance too, you had no choice. When Zan and the rest of the convoy returned to Vorak to inform Vorak's King of his decision, Kilsnar had no choice but to enforce it. Despite Clarek's bitter struggle to claim his right to go through the trial of Souls on your behalf, he failed. You were shipped off to Canor to undergo that hell alone." Kivar said. Standing up, he moved around the room to stretch his legs.

"You know Kristlyn, I've never known whether it was your brother's gutsy stand as King of Vorak that forced you to face the trial, or if it was your foolish refusal to allow anyone to stand through it in your place. Either way, it worked to my advantage."

Going cold, Caitlin could no longer feel the gentle hum in the back of her mind that signaled the presence of Clay and her other friends. . . All she could do was sit there. Sit there and listen to how she had helped cause the downfall of the royals, and their precious people.

"You survived, and were deemed worthy, but his son did not. Furious, King Kiven demanded restitution. . . Boarding a messenger's ship, you took flight to Vorak before his guards could lock you up. . . Sympathetic and unwilling to sacrifice his cousin a second time for a peace that seemed doomed to failure, Zan granted you clemency and supported your brother's refusal to turn you over. Bitter and angry, King Kiven had no problem making a deal with me. He made it possible to set the perfect trap."

Caitlin's numbness sank deeper into her being.

"The Royal Four died believing you all had betrayed them." Kivar said, once again smiling. The malnourished and sleep deprived brunette finally gave in to the subtle pull of nothingness haunting her since her first step on Petrax's space ship.

After watching the scene unfold, Grans understood why Kristlyn would find herself lost in these memories. The numbness that otherwise flooded the aged alien and her younger friend was shocking, that Kristlyn would still feel such a loyalty and love to the people who readily destroyed her good name and that of those closest to her was amazing. Feeling a strong urge to force the hybrid to snap out of it and take appropriate action to rejoin her friends, Grans resisted the urge once considering Kristlyn's vulnerable state. If she tried something that drastic the girl could get hurt, or worse, and she only wanted to help her.

Deciding on a slower approach, Grans fought the all-consuming nothingness encasing Kristlyn and began focusing on her childhood memories. Finding herself being pulled in, Selena looked around the world she had often heard of as a child but had never actually been apart of. The halls were beautiful, less extravagant than they were now but much more tasteful. The most dramatic change was found in the people themselves. Servants smiled as they walked down the halls, carrying out their daily duties. Guards stood at attention, their armor shiny from being polished out of pride. The honor of being a royal guard almost surrounding them all in a halo. Smiling sadly, Selena turned suddenly and exhaled sharply at the sound now filling her ears.

"Really, Zan, must you encourage your cousins so?" Selena's father, a younger and more carefree version, stood next to his King avoiding the twinkling eyes of his future wife while ignoring the heat rise up his being.

"But, just the other day you were telling me of your undying love for …" The young bodyguard lifted his foot and let it fall with great force down onto Zan's. "Ow!" Zan screamed, no longer amused as the excruciating pain throbbed.

"Goodbye your majesty!" Moving out of the room quickly, he sighed as the laughter filled the room. Volandra tried to console her brother while Clarek and his cousin shook their heads. In the corner out of sight stood a young girl, watching in awe as her older sister tended to her royal mistress. Selena stood still as the scene unfolded, disbelieving her eyes at the sight of her parents some time before they married. A smile grew, her pride in her parents increased at seeing her father's boldness. Slightly startled by the soft touch of a warm hand on her arm, Selena looked down to see the young girl that must have been Grans. Taking the girl's hand, Selena was shocked when the image of Kristlyn in her hybrid form joined her. Holding hands with the two girls, Grans moved forward to another scene pulled directly from her experience and memories.

"Wow Zan! I'm impressed, I never thought those two would make it to the alter." Kristlyn said, hugging her cousin contentedly.

"Tease now Kristlyn, but I feel confident that your brother and I will be able to get you to wed some time soon." Zan said, laughing as Kristlyn wrinkled her face.

"Don't you two have planets to rule? People to look after? There is more pressing business than marrying me off." Kristlyn said, slightly agitated by her cousin's remark, however innocent. Glancing over, the young princess caught Clarek's eyes and held them for a minute before turning to say hello to Volandra, her cousin and dear friend.

"Oh don't mind him, he's just bitter because I won't go for his choice in husbands for me. Honestly Kristlyn, don't let him choose a husband for you. Zan has the worst taste!" Volandra said, laughing as she remembered the scrawny thing he introduced her to just a few hours earlier. Smiling, Kristlyn hugged Volandra before dragging her off to the bridal chamber, where a nervous bride was waiting for assistance. As the two laughing women moved off, a frown creased Zan's brow. His taste wasn't that bad, his sister just refused to give anyone a chance. With every year her resistance grew, and the family stubborn streak had definitely deserved its reputation.

"Zan! While the girls are getting ready you have to help me convince Clarek that inviting Kain of Canor was a good idea." Kilsnar said, hoping his friend would listen to Zan.

"You invited Kain?" Zan asked, sensing Clarek move to join him and Kilsnar after hearing the name. "Well, that was a good idea. It will give us all a chance to celebrate together. This union is long awaited after all." Catching onto his cousin's quick thinking, Kilsnar smiled.

"If you say so, your majesty." Clarek said, bowing deeply before the man his King and childhood friend had sworn allegiance to.

"Clarek! Why so formal? Are you not happy on this day of joy? True love has finally won over our proud bodyguards. It is time to celebrate!" Zan said, hoping this occasion itself would lighten Clarek's mood.

"I think the ladies would prefer to wait until after the ceremony to celebrate, Zan." Clarek's tone remained respectful, though Kilsnar and Zan relaxed upon hearing the casual use of Zan's family name. After a moment, Zan began laughing. Kilsnar wore a huge smile that foretold of anxious women who would not wait until after celebrating for the ceremony. After a servant whispered to Clarek, he smiled. "They are ready, we'd best not keep them waiting." The groom, already prepared for the auspicious occasion, stood not far behind his King. He and his bride had agreed it would be easiest if he guarded Zan while she prepared for the ceremony. Great measures were taken by soon to be wives before forming a lifelong union, and she would need the assistance of her friends. Moving behind his King, the groom noticed as Clarek chose to walk behind him on the way to the ceremonial room. Smiling, the young male thought Kristlyn must have requested Clarek do so in case he needed to be "encouraged" to show up to his own wedding. Shaking his head slightly, he continued behind his King until they arrived to the room in question.

Earlier as Kristlyn moved Volandra down the halls, she held her cousin by the arm while laughing. She made a mental note to never allow Zan to set her up with someone, from the sound of his latest choice for Volandra, he really didn't have the best taste. Stepping into the large room, both princesses gasped at the beauty before them.

"You look wonderful!" Volandra exclaimed, excited that her bodyguard would finally get her hearts desire. Rushing forward, the bride held her hands out to the two royals and gracefully bowed. Amazed at her grace, Kristlyn and Volandra watched with great envy. As the bride stood to her full height once again, both women spoke simultaneously.

"Are you ready to begin?" Nodding, all three women stepped further into the room and stopped when they reached a circular table, with three large chairs. Taking a seat, Kristlyn asked her maid to remove several things from the table. Smiling, Kristlyn watched as her maid's young sister stepped forward to help her. The girl's thoughtfulness and curiosity did her sister credit, causing Kristlyn's heart to ache for a young girl of her own. Shaking away those thoughts, Kristlyn returned her full attention to her cousin and the woman they were here to assist.

"Take each other's hands," Kristlyn said while reaching out, "and clear your minds." After a moment of silence, when the three were in complete concentration and their connection strong, Kristlyn's voice once again filled the air. "This is a time of joy. This is a time of honor. Before you is a life of hardship, a life of love, and a life of sorrow." Kristlyn whispered, giving Volandra her queue.

"The time has arrived for you to say goodbye to your father, for he will no longer rule your actions. It is time for you to say goodbye to your mother, for she will no longer rule your heart. It is time to leave behind the world you have come to know and cherish, for it will no longer exist. In its place there will be him, he who loves you not as a father but as a man. He, who leaves behind all that he knows, will fill your life and you his." Volandra voiced strongly.

"This is a time of joy. This is my honor, to leave the father who guided me, the mother who loved me, the world I have cherished for so long. I walk to him, he who will be my world and I who will be his. I accept this life of hardship, of sorrow, of love." A bright light engulfed the bride, cleansing her of attachments to the past and making way for what will be her future, the life she will have once her union takes place. Concentrating, Volandra and Kristlyn gave their strength readily to their friend, helping her breakdown barriers and remove attachments that could hinder her union with the man she loves. As the light increased, it echoed the hope for happiness the two princesses held in their heart for their friend. Watching in amazement, Selena was shocked at their willingness to be so connected, so open, so bare before each other. Reaching an intensity that hurt the eyes and shocked those watching, the bright halo signaled the completion of the task they had come here to perform. The bride was ready, now the ceremony could take place without fear.

Stepping back, Selena, Grans, and the hybrid Kristlyn watched as the light disappeared suddenly, causing them to see spots. Smiling, Volandra reached out and hugged her friend and bodyguard. Excited, the bride stood up and began moving to the door, ready for the ceremony to begin and end so she and her husband of choice could unite as one. Watching with great amusement, Kristlyn walked behind the other two at a slightly slower pace. Reaching the ceremonial chamber, she was not surprised that the guys were already in place. Her maid had sent word to Clarek as soon as the ritual was complete. Moving forward, the princess watched the ceremony with a smile, unaware of those who now stood behind her. Selena stood bright eyed throughout the entire ceremony. She tried to burn the beautiful event into her memory, now surely one of the most precious memories she would always hold of her parents.

At the completion of the ceremony, there was much joy and celebration. Selena and the hybrid Kristlyn continued to watch, allowing Grans to guide them through the lengthy event before moving into another scene from her memory. As the three held hands, Selena looked down in time to see the young Grans move away from them. Looking back up, Selena recognized one of Vorak's city squares with lush landscape in the center of it. Turning from side to side, Selena marveled at the changes Vorak endured during the times of Petrax as King. The city block was one of the more popular ones, often used for celebrations and public parades. Selena recognized the area only as a meeting place for her contacts, since there was rare occasion for celebration since the downfall of the Royal Four.

Now though, what she saw surpassed all she had heard. Walking down the street in front of them, with little Grans trailing behind the princess' maid, stood Kristlyn. Reaching out her hands, the princess talked to her people openly, asking how they were doing and if anything troubled them. The princess was always prepared to intercede on the behalf of the people, quickly establishing a reputation as her brother's closest council on matters affecting the heart of their planet, the people. Clarek, his second in command, was known as a strong soul who guided the King on military matters. It was lesser known that his heart and actions were tempered by the concern of the very same princess who proudly stood up for her subjects. Now, as Selena and the hybrid Kristlyn watched the princess interact with her people, stopping momentarily to remove the burden from an elderly woman and her grandchild to carry that load for them to their home, the two stood in wonder.

Smiling, the hybrid Kristlyn watched the scene, allowing a tear to fall. The shock of the emotion filling her soul was overwhelming. It had been so long since she'd felt anything, the feelings consuming her now were almost painful. Sensing a change, Selena turned to her side at the same moment Grans stopped and looked behind her. Both watched hybrid Kristlyn, seeing her expression altered slightly by the pain filling her being. Turning back around, Grans began following behind her sister again. The scene slowly changed, bringing the small group to a child's birthday party. The child in her innocence had sent an invitation to the princess and her brother, the King. Unable to refuse such a request, the two royals found themselves sitting on the ground wearing a silly hat and playing with toys. The child's parents had almost fainted in shock at the arrival of their royal guests, but upon seeing the ease with which the King and his sister played with the children they slowly began to relax. It soon became apparent to Selena that the child was in fact a friend of Grans, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had encouraged the child to send Kilsnar and Kristlyn the invitations. Whether she had or not, the result was obviously a pleasing one for all concerned. The two royals seemed comfortable in the humble home they now found themselves in. In the background, Clarek watched the children play and the way the King and princess interacted with the kids and the birthday girl's parents. He smiled, understanding the extent of joy this one simple kindness brought these kids.

As the party concluded, Grans moved away from her friends to rejoin her two charges. Selena smiled, feeling honored to be included in this journey of the past, while hybrid Kristlyn allowed her emotions to continue swirling about her. She was on the verge of having them under control, but found herself unable to silence the questions that popped into her mind. _Why did I betray these people? Why did King Canor's son have to die in the trial of Souls? Why didn't I act differently?_ Understanding the questions the hybrid struggled with, Grans held hands with the two girls once again and began drifting slowly forward, reaching deep within her memories to recall events that might help explain why things unfolded as they did.

Before long, the three found themselves outside of a large room, looking through a large glass window. The room was one of several used for training soldiers in combat. It had special equipment that allowed for the use of heat intensive and core generated energy blasts, a reason why Clarek often trained here with the other royals. Today's training session with Clarek, Selena, Kilsnar, and Kristlyn had just ended. The four friends were tired, and Kilsnar had just stepped forward to escort Selena to her quarters. The two were very much in love, and Vorak's King guarded those he loved with his life. He did so for his planet in the end, but on this day he contented himself by watching the woman he loved and seeing her safely home. Nodding his approval, Clarek watched as his childhood friend escorted his twin sister out of the training room. Turning around, he looked at Kristlyn for several seconds before she began speaking.

"He will ask you soon, you know. He loves her very much." Kristlyn said, smiling softly at the wedding that would surely take place soon.

"Yes, and then it will be your turn to wed, and you will have to seriously look at the prospective husbands he brings before you." Clarek softly teased the princess, unable to and unwilling to hide the sadness tingeing each word. Grimacing, Kristlyn nodded but refused to turn her eyes away from Clarek, who rarely showed others the gentleness he showed her. To everyone else, he was strong willed and powerful, to her he conveyed so much more of his true nature.

"Sos should I accept? The last three times someone has asked for my hand it has been Petrax." Kristlyn said, walking slowly until she stood directly in front of Clarek. "Should I accept him and save my brother the burden of finding me a husband?" A long-standing joke, Clarek's eyes twinkled.

"Hmm… that would be a fine match. His smelly breath and your stinky feet!" Clarek said, unable to hide his amusement at the shock on Kristlyn's face. Within seconds a tickling match began between the two as the princess insisted her feet did not smell. On the ground, holding each other, laughter still evident in their voices and on their faces, the two looked deeply within each other. Kristlyn saw the love Clarek held for her, on a more primal level she felt it. That feeling reassured her, and brought her great joy. It was the other feeling she worried about, the obvious struggle between following his heart and his King. Clarek worried Kilsnar would refuse him, and if he did he wondered if their friendship would endure that.

"You don't have to choose. You two have been the closest of friends since childhood. You don't have to choose between your friend and your heart." Kristlyn whispered, radiating understanding. Going still, Clarek felt a chill go up his spine. Part of him said she spoke the truth, and the other part thought her naivety endearing. Sitting up, Clarek slowly stood up before helping Kristlyn up.

"He is the King, Kristlyn, and you are the princess of Vorak. It is his responsibility to find you a worthy husband." Clarek said grimly.

"You could be that worthy husband." Kristlyn said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Not if he chooses one for you." Clarek whispered, shocking Kristlyn into removing her hand.

"And you will let him." Kristlyn's words reverberated throughout the room, moments before the noise of a door being slammed trailed after them.

"And I will let him." Clarek said, sighing. He had thought about going to Kilsnar, confessing his love for Kristlyn and insisting on her hand in marriage. Staring at the door her highness had so recently slammed, he once again thought about it. Walking forward, Clarek's face changed as a determined look set upon it. His features seemed to expand outward and he gained some considerable height. Walking through the door and out of the room, Clarek didn't notice the little girl that followed behind him, practicing moving stealthily as her sister had taught when in the presence of one of the royals. Normally Grans was more interested in following Kristlyn's moves, she had secretly hoped to follow in her sister's footsteps when she got older. Besides, she felt more comfortable when her sister was around. Today though, the conversation between Kristlyn and Clarek had caught her attention; something in their tones told her of a change in heart that would greatly impact the people of Vorak. Even though when so young she didn't understand the true meaning of all that went on, she could only understand the feelings behind the events and so she chose to follow Clarek instead.

Moving down the halls, Selena, Grans, and the hybrid Kristlyn found themselves walking into a large, plush room. Clarek was listening intently to Kilsnar. As they watched, the three saw a large smile spread across Kilsnar's face. Clarek said something in a soft voice before laughing as Kilsnar jumped up and hugged him. The two were found this way as a servant moved into the room with news.

"Your majesty, the Royal Four…" As the servant bowed and stepped out of the way, Zan, his new bride, Ava, Volandra and Rath stepped into the room. Looking over, Kilsnar and Clarek smiled at the unexpected arrival of their friends. Walking over to Zan, Kilsnar gave him a big hug startling Antar's King.

"Kilsnar?" Zan said, seeing an unusually happy cousin. Normally Clarek was reserved, and remained in the background, but today even he seemed more talkative and generally pleased. Stepping back, Kilsnar smiled at everyone and made his announcement.

"Selena and I are getting married!" Kilsnar busted out with the good news, causing Volandra to squeal with happiness and Zan and Rath to grin from ear to ear. Queen Ava was happy also, though she knew her husband's cousin less well than the others and felt it only becoming of a new Queen to remain happy but reserved. After several minutes of discussion, Kristlyn broke through the joviality when she rushed into the room.

"Kilsnar! What is going on here?" Kristlyn asked, shocked by the news of the Royal Four's arrival. Even more shocking was the celebration underway, centered around news her brother had yet to share with her. Looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but notice Selena had already joined them. Feeling slightly hurt, almost as if she were nothing more than an afterthought, Kristlyn searched her brother's soul and felt the joy that radiated off him and the woman he loved. "You're" She started, unable to finish the thought as the King of Vorak nodded yes. Ecstatic, Kristlyn rushed forward to embrace her dear brother and future sister-in-law. The celebration continued, and the hybrid Kristlyn watched as the Royal Four supported Kilsnar in his decision to immediately plan the ceremony. No one revealed why the four had traveled to Vorak from Antar without sending word until after the ceremony, and by this time the only one still curious was Clarek.

Moving into another memory, Selena and her charge held onto Grans. They soon found themselves in the council room, where the Royal Four were meeting with the King of Vorak, his new bride, his sister and his second in command. Wisely waiting until well after Kilsnar and Selena's wedding, Zan felt the matter at hand could no longer be put aside. Kristlyn, princess of Vorak, tried not to let her annoyance at her maid's excessive attention show as the young woman fluffed her gown until Kristlyn was positive it couldn't get any puffier. Most of the time the princess was able to get away with wearing more comfortable clothes, and usually there was no need for such attention from her maid. This meeting, however, being a formally called one by the King of Antar and his entourage necessitated the traditional attire.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Kilsnar." Zan said, hoping he had waited long enough after the wedding. The royal line on Vorak was strong and powerful, but also stubborn and proud. He did not want to endanger his agenda by offending his cousin. "We have been pleased by the relations between the planets in the V System. Trade agreements have flourished and people are able to travel safely within the system." Getting an idea of what led the Royal Four to request this meeting, Kilsnar remained calm and respectful.

"You requested this meeting, Zan. Tell us what concerns you." Kilsnar said, not fooled. Looking to his wife, who smiled slightly, and then to Volandra and Rath, Zan got to the point.

"Tensions are riding high between Vorak and Canor, and it can't be allowed to continue. We have the entire V System to consider, five planets full of innocent people we are responsible for protecting." Zan said, expressing his concerns openly.

"Have you paid Canor a visit? Or do you believe that speaking with us will solve this problem? Do you honestly think this problem so one-sided?" Clarek asked. Rath was surprised his cousin was able to remain calm while speaking. There had definitely been a subtle change in him over the past few years, and he was curious as to what was behind it.

"No, we haven't been to Canor yet. We are going there next, and we know Vorak is not solely responsible for the tension. But we can't ignore it, we have to do something and we are here to propose exactly what." Volandra said, sensing Zan might have felt she spoke out of turn.

"What do you propose?" Selena asked, moving straight to the heart of the matter.

"A union, between Vorak and Canor." Ava said, watching Kristlyn sigh.

"It is to be a marriage then." Vorak's princess stated, stupid she was not. After her brother's timely wedding, there could be no doubt that she would be married off soon. Kilsnar sensed Kristlyn's emotions before even turning to her, seeing her forlorn expression. He was not surprised by the proposal the Royal Four had in mind, marriage was a traditional way to bring conflicting families together. What surprised him was the utter despair his sister felt and even more surprising, the slow anger building within her. Glancing to his wife, Selena, he saw the look of sadness on her face. Kilsnar had no idea that Selena was affected by her brother's emotions, he thought instead that Selena was sad at the possibility of losing her best friend. Clarek's sense of loss was overwhelming his sister, and it took all the Queen had in her to draw on years of practice to not reveal the pain openly. Squeezing her hand, Kilsnar tried to reassure her. He had no intention of shipping his sister off to appease a King who refused to sit down at the negotiations table with him like a civil adult.

"I don't think so." Kilsnar said, almost amused by the lack of shock on the faces now looking directly at him.

"Kilsnar, I understand how you feel. I do, honestly. I love her too, but this is the only solution." Zan insisted.

"No," Clarek said, stepping forward so that Zan had to face him. "We have sent request after request to talk to King Kiven, to send a convoy there, to sit down and work through things, and he has refused. Sending Princess Kristlyn off and marrying her to that cranky creature's son is not the answer." Clarek said, trying to control the vibes he was sending off.

"This is a matter for the King of Vorak to decide." Zan said carefully, his tone quiet. His eyes glimmering, Clarek took note of the royal before him, the King that his cousin Rath called friend.

"And Clarek is my advisor, in all things. He is right, we have done more than our share to try and find a peaceful ground with Canor." Kilsnar said, making Zan wonder if he had indeed waited long enough after the wedding. "Step down, Clarek." Unhappy at the command, Clarek moved back to his formal standing place before marking the King's tone. His friend was not trying to put him back in his place or belittle him in front of the Royal Four; he was actually trying to protect him. Though Clarek was royalty in his own right, this meeting was a formal one, and as such his behavior could have serious consequences if he was not careful. Noting the look of understanding and determination on his cousin's face, Rath began to appreciate the need for a formal meeting. His blood was known for having hot tempers and passionate natures; Zan must have been considering every possibility when planning this out.

"I know, forgive me." Zan spent a moment purposefully trying to catch Clarek's eyes and hold them before nodding slightly. Turning back to Kilsnar, Zan made his final plea. "When a King as stubborn and hateful as Kiven can be continues to cause problems, there can be only one result. Suffering, his people and yours will continue to suffer until we do something. He has a son who he wants to produce heirs, he will swallow his pride and accept peace to see that happen." Zan said. Kristlyn felt rather than heard her brother's sigh. He was King, and he had to do what was best for the people. Looking at Clarek, Kristlyn saw her love stand tall, radiating strength. He briefly looked into her eyes, begging for forgiveness for not having spoken to her brother before now. There could have been no arranged marriage if she was already engaged to him. Tempted to risk everything, Clarek stepped forward to speak up.

"You are right, King Zan, the people come first. I am sure my brother, King Kilsnar of Vorak, will consider your proposal shrewdly before making his final decision." Kristlyn said, shocking Clarek into stillness. Turning swiftly, Clarek looked at the princess, hoping against all hope that her anger at him was not driving her to throw her life away.

"Are you sure Kristlyn?" Kilsnar asked, pained at the thought of losing her.

"The people first." Vorak's princess uttered the words forcing Clarek to take a step back in acceptance.

Holding on, Selena and the hybrid princess she was here to assist started to fade through different memories from Grans' childhood. With Kristlyn much better, Grans decided it was time to bring everyone out of it. Concentrating, the older alien slowly closed the connection. Looking around her surroundings while standing slowly, Kristlyn took in the large, comfortable quarters and the two foreign aliens staring at her.

"Your highness," Grans said, bowing deeply. Following her lead, Selena smiled hesitantly.

"Your highness, I am Selena, royal bodyguard to the rightful rulers of Antar, the Royal Four. This is Grans, a loyal servant of your highness. Please sit down, we will explain everything." Selena spoke softly, out of true kindness rather than obligation. Her journey into the past brought her a whole new perspective. Looking at the young woman who was closer to Liz's age than her own when in human form, Caitlin did as she suggested and sat down. Watching the pair expectantly, Caitlin was amused when it was Grans who began speaking.

"Princess Kristlyn," Grans began, causing Caitlin to frown.

"Please, call me Caitlin. I am not the princess you remember. I have very few memories from that life, and prefer my human name." Caitlin said gently, not wanting to disrespect or offend her elderly hostess. Not at all use to the unusual name, Grans nodded slightly before addressing the princess by her preferred name. Explaining how she had come to be on Vorak, Grans gave Caitlin enough information for her to be able to fill in the gaps. Sitting there, staring at the aged countenance before her, Caitlin began realizing that Grans and many others like her hoped that the royal bloodline of Vorak would once again be purified, that Petrax would be kicked out, and that her brother would once again sit on the throne. Amazed at their love and loyalty, Caitlin wondered if it could ever be. Could they accept human-Vorakian hybrids as their rulers? Would they still consider the bloodline a pure one? It seemed doubtful, and yet here was this woman in earnest, kindly acting as maid to Caitlin.

"Grans," Caitlin spoke softly, before turning to include Selena. "Selena, thank you both for your help. Thank you both for saving my life." Caitlin said, reaching out and hugging her saviors. Standing up, Caitlin walked over to the window and once again looked out, for the first time seeing what was her home world in another lifetime. "I need to return, this is not where I am meant to be." Caitlin said softly, thinking of Clay and James, and even of her friends.

"But your highness, your son…" Grans spoke, stopping after realizing how thoughtless she was being. It was only natural for the princess to think of returning to the planet where she grew up and to the rest of the royals. But they needed her here now, a fact that she would have to realize and accept soon. "Your highness, forgive me, I speak out of turn." Consumed with thoughts of Clay, Caitlin turned around and walked forward determinedly.

"I need to go home Grans, this world is no longer mine. In many ways, it never was." Turning to Selena, Caitlin spoke forcefully. "Please take me home." Reminded of her royal blood once again, Selena bowed before Caitlin, ready to follow her orders. Fighting desperation, Grans stepped forward and looked her princess in the eyes.

"You can't leave. We need you here, your people need you, your son needs you. Please Princess, your son needs a mother and our world needs a King." Grans said. Shocked, Caitlin looked at the elderly alien as if it was the first time she had seen the strange form.

"Son? My son is dead." Caitlin muttered the words, barely audible to the others in the room but audible nonetheless. Bowing deeply, Grans risked everything to keep the princess there. Slowly, Grans revealed the secret she held for so many years.

"My lady, you have a son. After your escape from Canor, you returned here seeking your brother's protection. The King hid you away, sending only Clarek with you to keep you safe. Before leaving, Clarek asked the King for your hand in marriage, confessing his love and undying devotion for you. The King accepted, and felt only sorrow for the circumstances you both found yourselves in. Before sending you into hiding, you two were married. Together, you both disappeared while the King handled King Kiven's angry convoy. Refusing King Kiven's request for your hand in marriage, his majesty sought out the support of Antar, and found it in King Zan and Princess Volandra. Furious, King Kiven left taking all hope of peace with him. It was not until after you and your new husband resurfaced that Canor's King sent an envoy of peace and reconciliation to Vorak. Having just given birth to a beautiful son, you left him in the care of your maid and her sister, whom you trusted without question. I think you were reluctant, but Clarek could not get passed his suspicions so you both agreed keeping the child's existence a secret was necessary until your return." Grans said, before whispering, "You didn't return, until now."

Sitting down, Caitlin began thinking through the ramifications of all she had just been told. She was a mother… no, she had been a mother, in another lifetime. But that was then, not now. In this lifetime, her child had been taken from her, and now Grans spoke of another child from another lifetime that she had not been there to raise. Looking at the woman still on the ground, Caitlin shuddered.

"There is a King, why is he not on the throne?" Caitlin asked, surely after Petrax's complete fascination with her all these years he could have taken control, gained the upper hand somehow.

"Your highness, he has only recently learned of his birth parents. When news arrived of your trial and sentence, we had no choice but to tell him. He took the news fairly well, but he has never known his parents. He needs guidance, reassurance, before assuming the throne." Grans answered. Her overwhelming sense of Clay once again quelled, Caitlin sighed. She wondered if they would ever have a normal life, she wondered if she would even know what having a normal life was if she had it.

"What do you want me to do?" Caitlin asked softly, not yet committed to staying on this foreign planet but unable to walk away from people who needed her so blatantly.

"Meet with him, your highness, talk to him. His only wish is to meet to you," Grans said, deciding against pushing her highness to committing to stay. Slowly rubbing her hands back and forth over her thighs, Caitlin felt the soft material under her fingers and took great comfort in the feel of it. Pleased to be out of the rags she had worn throughout the trial, the clothes she wore now were a deep burgundy. Unsure if the color was common for these people or if Grans had somehow known it was her favorite color, Caitlin smiled at the sight of it. Brought a sense of peace, Caitlin allowed her connection with Clay to once again open up. To get through this meeting she would need his strength, and unconditional love.

"Okay," Caitlin said, already feeling Clay's love pour into her.


	20. Chapter 20

_Baker's Farm…_

Goofing around, Kyle began chasing Liz around the group of friends. Laughing, Liz ran and hid behind Max, pleading with her eyes for him to protect her. Glimmering with mischief, Max's eyes showed no mercy as he reached out and held Liz to him. Leaving Kyle the opportunity he needed to get on the ground and begin tickling Liz until tears streamed down her face.

"Stop! Please! I beg you!" Liz's ragged voice broke out between screams of laughter. Smiling, Max slowly released her and watched as Kyle backed off. The two rarely agreed on anything, but this time the temptation had been too great.

"Oh guys, leave her alone. Let her eat," Maria said, insisting that her hard work on the food she had prepared for this picnic outing wouldn't go to waste. Still giggling, Liz dug into her food with zeal. Her hunger this day was great, and she recognized the slow growls from her tummy as a sign it was time to eat. Munching on his food, James felt a rush come over his senses.

"Clay?" James uttered his friend's name questioningly before hearing a gruff response.

"I feel it too." Clay said, watching as Isabel's eyes opened.

"It's Caitlin." Isabel said, shocking the entire group. Turning to look at their friends, Isabel's smile lit up her face. "She's safe." With that, the small group allowed their thoughts to linger on their missing friend for a few minutes before picking up with the jovial occasion. Today's outing was a celebration, of sorts. They had managed to avoid the Special Unit for months, and remained out of Kivar and Petrax's radar. Without knowing how they could be so blessed to have such peace in their lives at last, the group felt it was necessary to show their gratitude. The simple picnic was their way of doing exactly that. As the laughter continued, Clay focused on Caitlin and his need for her. He could barely believe she was alive. It had been so long since he allowed himself to dream of her that he now struggled with the feelings inside him. Deep in concentration, a smile slowly graced Clay's lips as Caitlin's love and need for his strength filled him. Willing her to come home to him, Clay was disappointed when she didn't open the connection to him fully, allowing the two to become one. Unsure if it was because she was awake or he was, Clay reluctantly contented himself with just being able to feel her again.

After tiring themselves that evening, the small group returned to the farmhouse and discovered without much surprise Clay heading to bed early. Inwardly smiling, the others just nodded in understanding as they moved to the living room to watch a new movie. Grateful, Clay went to his room and fell into bed. While he slept, disturbing dreams kept him company.

"Clarek? I'm sorry, I should have realized how you felt about my sister. She didn't bother hiding her love for you, but I thought… well, I was wrong. I'd be honored to have you marry Kristlyn. You have my blessings." Kilsnar gruffly hugged Clarek before releasing the long time friend. Smiling, Clarek allowed his joy to show. "You shall marry before leaving." At the news Clarek's face once again turned stoic. "I am sorry my friend, but one day we will have a proper celebration. For now, your bride's life is in danger and it is imperative that you two leave, you must protect her." Nodding his head, Clarek understood the gravity of the situation. Kristlyn's now deceased fiancé had King Kiven calling for blood, and if his bride was to be safe they would need to leave soon.

"I will protect her with my life." Clarek said, not knowing that Kilsnar prayed it did not come to that. Moving silently through the castle's halls, Clarek found his hidden princess and took her in his arms. "My love." Hugging her to him, Clarek told Kristlyn of her brother's consent to their wedding and his plans to have them wed before leaving. Overjoyed, Kristlyn waited impatiently for the presiding authority to arrive with her brother. Although it saddened her that they could not have a huge celebration and include their cousins, Vorak's princess understood the wisdom behind a quick and secret ceremony. King Kiven's demands were no longer a threat; he could not wed a princess who was already married. The ceremony was short and sweet, bringing the newlyweds to their goodbyes and a trip deep into Vorak's splendid caves.

The royals were the only ones who traveled through the underground networks freely, having successfully learned the ins and outs centuries ago. Now, thankful their ancestors had exhibited such foresight, the two traveled out of the castle and down paths leading deep within the planet's core. Traveling for weeks, Clarek and his new wife prayed Kilsnar found the support in the Royal Four that he assured them he would. It wasn't until a month in hiding that Clarek received a message from Volandra, assuring him that she and Zan had fully supported them. Now, a month and a half into their self enforced exile, Kristlyn tugged on Clarek's arm to gain his full attention.

"Clarek, sweetie, have you noticed a change?" Kristlyn whispered softly, her soft body flushed against Clarek's solid one. Shifting his head, he looked down slightly confused. "Have you felt it?" Kristlyn took his hand and placed it on her, letting him feel what she was talking about. Opening his eyes wide, Clarek inhaled deeply. She was pregnant, and soon would need more care than he could give her. Holding her tightly to him, it was that night that Clarek silently called to Selena. Reaching out, Clarek entered the Queen's dreams in a disturbing fashion.

"Kil-s-nar!" Selena and Kilsnar merged as one before her majesty drifted off into a deep, and relatively complete sleep.

"Hello sis! I see Kilsnar is doing his best to get an heir," Clarek said shamelessly, causing heat to rise within Selena.

"There had better be a good reason for your visit, dear brother, or else I'll make your return hellish for you. That I promise!" Selena said, flustered.

"Kristlyn's pregnant," Clarek whispered, "she will need care soon." Shocked, Selena smiled largely before moving to embrace her brother.

"That's wonderful news! I will talk to Kilsnar and see if he thinks it is safe for you both to return. King Kiven's convoy has come and gone. When he saw he had no support from Antar, he decided to move on." Selena said, hoping war would not break out soon. Saying goodbye, Selena woke up and immediately began updating Kilsnar. Pleased to learn he would be an uncle, Kilsnar doubled the castle guards and Selena let Clarek know to start the return trip home. Weeks later, after months of separation, the couples were reunited with their siblings.

Turning over, Clay's dreams took a startling turn. Not long after Kristlyn gave birth to a boy, King Kiven sent a convoy of peace, requesting the presence of the Vorakian royals to discuss the truce. Never having liked the King or his son, whether for personal or political reasons, Clarek could not move passed the feeling in his gut that the angry King could not be trusted. Kilsnar hoped for peace, and would not accept Clarek's arguments.

"He no longer poses a threat to Kristlyn, Clarek, I cannot understand why you are so set on not meeting with him." Kilsnar said, his frustration in his second in command evident.

"Something's not right, Kilsnar, you know more than I King Kiven's stubborn streak. Does this offer of peace really ring true to you? My gut tells me he is up to something, and I refuse to put my wife or son in danger." Clarek bit out, his frustration mounting. Sighing, Kilsnar looked at the man who had been a loyal friend for so many years, a man he himself grew up with.

"We have to meet him, I can't let a chance at peace slip by." Kilsnar said, the finality in his voice signaling the end of the conversation to Clarek.

"Fine, but I am not taking my child with us. Don't ask, but your nephew will remain safe." Clarek turned around and left the chamber, leaving an understanding and grateful brother-in-law behind. The royals could definitely defend themselves, but a worried princess would not help their situation.

Back in his private chambers, Clarek held his son in his arms and watched as Kristlyn paced back and forth. Looking down, the dark eyes radiated love, an innocence that took his breath away.

"We have no choice, do we?" The princess asked, trying to find logical reasons to not go and sighing as none came to her.

"The King does not think we can afford to let an opportunity at peace go by, even considering the dubious intentions of our hosts." Clarek said, enjoying the warm feel of his newborn.

"You do not agree," Kristlyn stated matter-of-factly.

"Do you?" Clarek asked, his voice rough with emotion. Turning around, Kristlyn looked at her husband.

"He is my brother, and my King. If he thinks the offer is sincere, then we have no choice." The princess, full of pride and loyalty, said softly. "My husband, I am yours. What would you have me do?" Kristlyn's question did not mock Clarek as it would have any other man, but instead, made it plain that her loyalty to him and her family came first. Sighing, Clarek stood up and walked until he stood by his wife's side.

"We keep Vlad's birth a secret, and he remains here until we return. We will leave for Canor tomorrow, with the King and Queen." As Clarek spoke, he and his wife gazed down at their son. His innocence inspired them to do all they could to assure peace. Entrusting the care of their son to Kristlyn's maid and her young sister, the two left the next day. Waking abruptly, Clay stared straight ahead as the fear filled him. Caitlin's connection with him flared, as if she sensed his pain. Assuring him all would be well, Clay screamed as Caitlin's presence dimmed until his soul felt alone once again.

"What the…" Michael jumped out of bed. Grabbing sweatpants he fumbled trying to put them on. Maria watched the man she loved hit the door hard on his way out.

"Hey! What's??" Michael and James found themselves looking at a shaken Clay.

"Clay?" James asked quietly, his insides twisted in turmoil. Max walked in with Liz leaning against his side, tears streaking her face.

"What's going on?" Michael saw Liz and knew there was trouble.

"It's time." Max said, sensing his sister walk up behind him. "It's time we finish this."

Clay inhaled deep breaths to force his body to stop shaking. After a few minutes of silence, he looked around the room and saw his cousins and friends exchange looks. Isabel caught his attention as she came to stand to Michael's other side.

"Selena contacted me. The rebellion has come to ahead on Vorak. A war has started. Caitlin was caught in the middle of it."

"Is she?" Maria asked, unable to complete the question.

"I don't..." Isabel shook her head slightly.

"She's alive." Clay, James and Liz all said at once. Tears fell as the small group looked at each other, grateful for the friends and family they saw.

"Selena was supposed to keep her safe. She was supposed to…" Maria's green eyes went blank, unable to understand why the shapeshifter hadn't brought their friend back to them. Michael pulled Maria in tightly, hugging her to his chest as he gently caressed her hair.

"There is nothing Selena could have done differently. Caitlin was catatonic when she rescued her. She took her to Vorak to keep her safe. Caitlin came around, just in time." Isabel explained.

"In time?" Maria asked, confusion evident on the pretty blonde's face.

"To meet the true king of Vorak." Isabel said, brown eyes intensely focused on Clay.

"I had a vision." Liz's soft voice caught everyone's attention. Up until now she had remained silent, but now she felt compelled to speak. "In it she died protecting Vorak's true King. She died protecting her son." Liz said, glancing from Isabel to look at Clay.

"I don't understand, you guys keep saying Vorak's true king. That doesn't make sense. Does it?" Kyle asked.

"Kristlyn and Clarek had a son before they were killed. He was hidden for his own protection." Clay whispered, his heart torn into a thousand pieces.

"The rebellion on Vorak, he is the one leading it. In my vision he met with Caitlin, but was followed by one of Petrax's spies. They discovered his true lineage and attempted to kill him… Caitlin, Caitlin protected him." Liz looked at Max, leaning into him as her husband pulled her closer.

"He's determined to take back what was taken from his family." Isabel said. "Now is the time for us to fight, to aid the people of both Antar and Vorak. Max?" Isabel's voice was strong, and her determination written into her posture and facial expressions.

"Yes, we will help our people. The time to hide is over. We fight, and hope we can get to Caitlin in time." Max said, looking at Clay.

"That may not be necessary. I can dreamwalk her, contact her, warn her." Clay said, looking at Isabel who nodded in understanding.

"I'll contact Selena. We need transportation off this planet if we're going to help anyone." Max looked at his sister, a sense of pride at the woman who stood a few feet way from overtaking him. His sister, the beauty queen, the Christmas Nazi, the blonde, was beautiful and strong and full of compassion. He marveled at the way she literally radiated. And he began to hope. They could do this, together. And here they all stood, together. Friends and family. Minus one. _Not for long._

"Do it." Max said, a half smile gracing his lips at the look of trust and strength coming from the people he loved most.


End file.
